Summary of WFP assistance:
With the objective of ensuring food and nutrition security of the population, WFP and “Progresando con Solidaridad”, the country's leading social protection programme, under the Vice Presidency’s Cabinet for Social Policy, have implemented a nutrition component within the national safety net since 2009. The project reaches 121,706 people, 88,348 being children from 6 to 59 months, 23,665 pregnant women and nursing mothers and 9,693 elderly adults. In addition, the programme supports 20,000 government community employees and health practitioners as beneficiary of capacity development activities.
Since its inception, the multi-faceted component has comprised of a complete package of interventions including capacity development for community leaders and health practitioners, coordination amongst actors, community nutrition education and promotion of preventative care for children through primary healthcare. Under the social safety net programme’s conditionality of attendance to primary health care, WFP and Progresando con Solidaridad, through the Ministry of Health practitioners, provide Micronutrient Powders to 78,882 children between 6-59 months, complementary nutritious foods (Supercereal Plus) to 9,466 children at risk of chronic or acute malnutrition, Supercereal to pregnant women and nursing mothers with micronutrient deficiencies and to the elderly with inadequate food consumption.
Capacity Development HIV/AIDS and Nutrition - WFP provides ongoing support to the Ministry of Public Health. WFP has trained health care providers from the Ministry in offering nutrition counselling for people living with HIV. WFP has also strengthened the Ministry's programmes focused on monitoring of child growth and development, through trainings and field monitoring. Through HIV and nutrition activities, WFP targets 290 doctors, psychologists and counsellors of 77 integrated heath units and 175 women living with HIV; indirectly benefiting another 36,391 people living with HIV who also attend the health centres.
Capacity Development School Feeding - WFP supports the Ministry of Education by evaluating national school feeding rations and providing recommendations for incorporating essential micronutrients into the menu, as well as for improving the programme's sustainability based on quality standards and supporting with developing a monitoring and evaluation protocol.
Emergency Preparedness and Response - Because of its strategic position and the political support of the government, WFP is able to respond to disasters affecting the Dominican Republic, Haiti and other Caribbean islands. WFP works with the Centre for Emergency Operations and the Ministry of the Presidency's emergency response enhancement to support capacity development in logistics and telecommunications.