The new government has exceeded expectations following its first 100 days in office, Peru's Development and Social Inclusion Minister Cayetana Aljovin underlined.
The official highlighted the Executive Branch rendering accounts and informing the general population of the first adopted measures to assist their needs.
Regarding actions implemented by her sector, the Minister referred to the allocation of S/170 million (about US$51 million) to the Performance Incentives Fund (FED). Said fund aims at prioritizing regional government efforts to reduce anemia and chronic child malnutrition.
"These resources have already been allocated to regional and local governments to tackle anemia and child malnutrition, issues prioritized by the government since they threaten public health," she stressed.
To this end, the Ministry has designed a strategy against anemia that bears the approval of the Inter-ministerial Social Affairs Commission (CIAS). Such strategy sets up a series of indicators to observe and follow up progress made, as well as to prioritize locations to work on.
The Social Inclusion head also mentioned the creation of AYNI Lab Social, a social innovation laboratory aimed at boosting cost-effective innovations for social policy.
"We are looking for the private sector and entrepreneurs to contribute with their creativity in coming up with concrete solutions to social issues," she said.
In this respect, the Ministry seeks solutions to address frosts in the country's southern Andes, as well as an easy-to-use anemia screening device.
The Minister also addressed the establishment of "The Minister Listens to You," a space where she provides direct attention to citizens throughout the country.
"We listen to their needs, views and suggestions to improve the quality of services rendered by the Development and Social Inclusion Ministry," she explained.
As for urban poverty —previously neglected— the sector has created the program La Escalera del Bienestar ('Well-being Staircase') to focus social programs on the country's urban areas.
Finally, Aljovin remarked that "the idea is to become a poverty-free country. That should be the task of the entire government and the Development and Social Inclusion Ministry."
(END) NDP/ART/DHT/MVB