Abstract
Malnutrition in children is one of the biggest challenges in Latin America. In Panama, 19% of children under five years of age suffer from malnutrition, and it is more pronounced in marginalized provinces and indigenous regions. In response to this problem, the Ministerio de Desarrollo Social, developed the National Plan for Food and Nutrition Safety. It proposes a set of actions for the prevention and control of malnutrition, one of which is the implementation of sustainable school feeding programs. PACE consists of the distribution of a nutritionally enhanced cookie, fortified semi-skimmed milk and enriched nutritious cream for students in public schools. This type of program can constitute a social strategy to improve education, health, nutrition and poverty reduction and, in turn, be an effective public policy to guarantee the right to adequate food. We offer a qualitative evaluation of the program to understand its impact, identify areas for improvement, and explore beneficiaries’ experiences. So far, no study has been published that explores the perspectives of family members and educators of children who receive PACE benefits. Individual interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations with parents, educators, and other school staff members responsible of distributing food in schools are used. In addition, a community participation approach ensures that the work highlights the voice and needs of participants’ communities. This research provides valuable in-depth insights that will serve for the continuous improvement of the program and contribute to strengthening food and nutrition security in Panama.
Presenters
Andrea MelgarResearcher, Centro Internacional de Estudios Políticos y Sociales, Panamá, Panama
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
School meals programs, Public policy, Community engaged research, Childhood nutrition
