Announcement of Twenty-Five Million Dollars for Integrated Nutrition Improvement in Colombia on September 15, 1977

FORM NO. 1121 '5-76) T F r 1-l World Bank 1818 H Street, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. • Telephone: (202) 393-6360 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 78/15 SEPTEMBER 15, 1977 $25 MILLION FOR INTEGRATED NUTRITION IMPROVEMENT IN COLOMBIA The World Bank hasat1nouncedapproval of a $25 million loan to assist Colombia in combating widespread malnutrition among the poorest 30 percent of the population. The Government recognizes that malnutrition is one of the country's most acute development problems and thus has incorporated the first phase of a National Food and Nutrition Plan (PAN) into its 1975-78 national program. The combined project site would include 7 of the country's 22 departments and the district of Bogota, which represent two major heavily populated regions comprising high concentrations of Colombia's poorest. The project includes several innovative features: It is an integrated approach, channeling a variety of nutrition investments through ~existing institutions. It uses the community level of the new national health care system as a conduit for nutrition surveillance and delivery of integrated nutrition and health services including nutrition education, food supplements, environmental sanitation, promotion of family gardens, and family welfare services. It tests a new food distribution system directed specifically at the needs of the nutritionally most vulnerable groups. Some of the detailed features of the project include construction of 56, and re- construction of 225 health posts, construction of potable water supply for about 372 rural communities, installation of 112,000 household latrines, promotion of about 20,000 family gardens and 100 school demonstration gardens, and support of 26 research, develop- ment and feasibility studies related to the manufacturing, processing, storage and market- ing of nutritious foods. In addition, the nutrition educa· ion component includes pro- duction and dissemination of nutrition messages through the mass media and through village level workers and the training of village workers. The program development component will cover monitoring and evaluation, a food quality control laboratory, and program coordination. Total beneficiaries of the health and nutrition education components of the project would be 1.8 million people, of which 70 percent are in rural areas. It is estimated that ~ the p,0ject would reduce the number of sick days of the benefitiary population by 20 per- cent and the infant mortality rate by 25 percent. Overall, the project will not c~1y NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents.  - 2 . improve nutrition, but also raise living standards and productive capacity. It will • also help the PAN sustain its effectivenes5. The $25 million World Bank loan to Colombia is for a term of 17 years, including a grace period of four years, at an annual Interest rate of 8 percent. The Government of Colombia is providing $39. 1 mill ion for the project while beneficiaries would finance around $4.8 mill ion of the costs of the project's health, water supply and latrine services. -o- • •  FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T E C HN I CA L DA TA .PROJECT: Integrated Nutrition Improvement Project COUNTRY: Colombia TOTAL COST: $68.9 mill ion BANK FINANCING: $25 million for 17 years, including four years of grace at 8% per annum. OTHER FI NANCI··'.:-. $39. 1 mill ion from the Government of Colombia $4.8 million from project beneficiaries IMPLEMENTiNG ORGANIZATIONS: DNP - (1) OepartamentoNacional de Planeacion (Department of National Planning) Carrera 10, No. 'i:?-27, t:Sogot~, D.E. Colombia, (2) INAS - lnstituto Nacional de Salud, (National Institute of Health) Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN), Bogot~, D.E. 1 Colombia, (3) INCBF - lnstituto Colombiano para el Bienestar Familiar (Colombian Institute for Family Welfare), Carrera 50, No. 27-01, Bogot~, Colombia, (4) I IT - lnstituto de lnvestigacion Tecno15gica (Institute for Technological Research) Avenida 30, No. 52A-77, Bogota, D.E. Colombia, and (5) MOH - Ministry of Health (Minis- terio de Salud PGbl ica), Call~ 16, No. 7-39, Bogotf, D.E. Colombia . PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project has the following components: (a) Investments at Com- • munity Levels: (1) Health Services - construction of 56 and reconstruction of 225 health posts and the equipping and operation of these posts; (2) Water Supply - construction of potable water supply for about 372 rural communities; (3) Sanitation - installation of about 112,000 household latrines; and (4) Nutrition Education - production and dissemina- tion of nutrition messages through the mass media and through village level workers and the training of the village workers. (b) Pilot Programs, Research and Development: (1) Family Gardens - provision of inputs and technical assistance for about 20,000 family gardens and 100 school demonstration gardens; (2) Applied Food Technology - support of 26 research, development and feasibility studies related to the manufacturing, processing, storage and marketing of nutritious foods. (c) Program Develop .~nt: (1) Monitoring and Evaluation - support for regular monitoring of each component, and for evaluation of the nutritional impact and other important aspects of the program including an intensive evaluation of the program's effectiveness in one department; (2) Quality Control - the equipping and operation of a food quality control laboratory; (3) Program Coordination - support for the operating unit which is responsible for coordinating and refining the pro- ject and the nutrition program. PROCUREMENT: Contracts for water pipes and pumping equipment and orders estimated to cost more than US$100,000 for vehicles and other equipment would be awarded on the bas·1s of international competitive bidding procedures in accordance with Bank guidelines. Orders costing less than US$100,000 for vehicles and equipment procured locally and for all latrine equipment and fixtures would be made through local competitive bidding procedures . CONSULTANTS: Local and foreign consultants would be provided for health services, • nutrition education, food quality control and monitoring and evaluation. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1981 - 0 -