Paulina Quintao – Member of Parliament (MP) Ilda Maria da Conceicao has called on the Ministry of Health to explain why a program which provides corn flour to expectant mothers has been on hold for two months.

The Member of Commission F (health, education, culture, veterans' and gender equality affairs) said the program helped to reduce rates of malnutrition in Timor-Leste.

MP da Conceicao said Commission F monitoring had revealed that the program, which is jointly run by Timor Global and the Ministry of Health, no longer operated in almost all health centers.

"We went to the Ermera Health center they said every month they would distribute corn flour for children and pregnant women but no there is no longer any corn flour," she said in parliament.

MP da Conceicao said inquiries she made after receiving this information showed that corn flour production at Timor Global's Gleno base had stopped for two months.

Resident Manuela Soares said the program was operating last year at public health facilities across the country including at the Bairo-Pite clinic but operations had now halted.

"Last year corn flour and mosquito nets were distributed to all health facilities in Dili and the districts for them to give to the pregnant women and their children but this has stopped," she said.

Ministry of Health department of nutrition chief Joao Bosco da Costa said the program had temporarily stopped due to a lack of staff and failure to have program funding extended.

He said the department would work with its partners on awareness raising activities and other programs to help combat malnutrition in districts at particular risk.

"The plan will be implemented in five districts; Ainaro, Covalima, Maliana, Ermera, Oe-cusse and Dili because research from 2013 shows that rates of malnutrition are higher there in comparison to other districts," he said.

Da Costa said the corn flour program had stalled as Timor Global was unable to keep up with production demand from the health ministry.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/gender/12674-maternal-nutrition-program-ceased