P
a
n Am
e
ri
ca
n H
e
alth
O
rg
a
ni
z
ati
on
W
o
rld H
ea
lth Orga
n
i
z
ati
o
n
XVI P
XIV R
anAmerican
egionalCommittee
S
anitary
Meeting
Conference
___
Min
ne
ap
o
lis
,
Mi
n
n
e
s
o
t
a,
U
.
S.A.
August
-
S
e
pt
e
mb
e
r
1
9
6
2
Draft
A_enda Item 2.6
CSP16
/
30 (Eng.)
lO August
Z962
ORIGIN
A
L:
SPANISH
REPORT O_ _UTRITION PROSRAM IN THE AMERICAS
(Document presented by th
e
Government of Mexico)
!
csP16
/
3o
(Eng.)
"NUTRITION PROGRAM IN MEXICO"
Since 1925, as a result of programs put into effect by various administrations, sustained and cumulative progress has been made in providing Mexicans with the resources for satisfying their needs, among
them that of feeding themselves adequately.
The programs adopted to improve the nutrition situation directly or indirectly include some that are stric%ly agricultural and others more general in nature, part of socio-economic betterment schemes.
Unquestionably, the distribution under agrarian reform of fifty million hectares to Mexican farmers has substantially increased agri-cultural production. A great deal of the land thus apportioned had been held in vast estates sometimes as much as 90 per cent unexploited.
The distribution continues, and within the last three years 6,700,000 hectares have been given out. This means a sizable increase in area under cultivation, for most of the land affected had been idle.
Since 1928, 2,300,000 hectares have been irrigated as a result of intensive work in a number of hydrographic basins.
Various programs have brought about wide mechanization of agri-culture. In the past ten years the number of tractors has practically tripled; at present almost sixty thousand are in use.
Fertilizer consumption has increased far beyond expectations--by 31 per cent annually in the past decade. Domestically produced fertir lizersplayed a larger part than the imported in this increase.
The production and distribution of improved seeds has been highly successful, especially in irrigated areas. Merely to produce these seeds, almost seventy thousand hectares are now employed.
Various programs are under way to improve financing by means of agricultural banks and ejidal credit. Cooperatives are being promoted both for production and for the buying, selling, and processing of farm products.
In transport and storage, the decentralized government agency called CONASUPO (National Popular Provisions Company) is particularly important. This agency sets guaranteed prices for all the principal
!
csP16
/
3o
(Eng.)
Page 2
CONASUPO regulates the farm-products market, preventing speculation. It als, processes some of them --such as corn and wheat-- and certain fishery products as well.
It sells direct to the consumer in the country's principal cities, and controls the import and export of food products in cooperation with other governments agencies--the Secretariats of Industry and Commerce,
Finance, and Agriculture and various special commissions, such as those for corn, olives, and coffee.
All this has increased the gross agricultural product by almost 500 per tcent in the past forty years. The rise in the production of basic foods exceeds the growth in population: the supply of corn per capita increased by 30 per cent between 1925 and 1958-59 and that of beans by 50 per cent. Milk seems to have increased per capita, but meat has remained at the same level.
The present food supply per person per day is as follows: 417grams of cereals, 54 grams of legumes and oilseeds, 60 grams of green and root vegetables, 86 grams of fruit, 212 cc. of milk, 76 grams of various kinds of meat, and 72 grams of sugars, plus other foodstuffs. While this may not constitute a luxurious diet, it would satisfy the population's
nutri-tional requirements if properly distributed.
In several states, food processing has increased enormously in recent years, stimulated and supplied by rising production; in some it is the principal industry (Baja California, Tamaulipas).
State participation in food processing is still incipient and fragmentary, limited mainly to a few products such as hominy, crackers and pasta, powdered and reconstituted milk, and dried fish and fi_h flour.
In the field of education, the following points should be noted:
1. Teachers are being trained in normal schools, centers for training and pedagogical orientation, and special meetings at the regional level.
2. The textbooks cover many aspect of nutrition, integrating them into the various general topics.
3- Work plans have been drawn up for school gardens and for improving pupils' dietary habits.
4. Twelve fundamental agriculture and stockraising centers have been set up, in which the inhabitants of an area are trained in food production and storage, home preserving, family budgets, and so on.
}
csP16
/
3o
C
g
.
)
Page 3there are 78 such missions, composed of teachers, agronomists, doctors or nurses, and various technical personnel, which carry on educational work for one or two months in each community.
Nutritutional Programs in Public Health.
In recent years the National Institute of Nutrition has carried on an outstanding series of nutritional surveys throughout the country. During the past three years 26 such surveys have been performed, in both rural and urban areas.
The main problems have been observed in rural areas. There, about 60 per cent of the calories are supplied by corn, which makes for a poor, monotonous, and insufficient diet. The calorie, protein, and vitamin requirements are not adequately met. About 2 per cent of the children show obvious signs and symptoms of undernourishment; between 5 and 15 per cent have skin and mucous-membrane manifestations of malnutrition; in between 20 and 50 percent, growth is affected. Moreover, a rather close relationship has been demonstrated between malnutrition and child mortality, especially from infectious diseases.
Rural adults also exhibit evidence of malnutrition, and cases of marked emaciation, anemia, and skin and mucous-membrane lesions are common. Various biochemical studies have demonstrated low levels of circulating enzymes and vitamins, lipids, and in some cases serum albumins.
Goiter or susceptibility to it is found in an estimated 14 per cent of the country's total population.
More than two thousand communities have health services at present. These health centers, rural social welfare center_, sanitary units, and so on have maternal-and-child clinics whose main object is the supervision and education of mother and offspring from the standpoint of diet. The Rural Social Welfare Program works in various ways to promote better
nutrition, through breakfasts for preschool children, education of mothers' groups, encouragement of family food-raising, and so on.
The National Institute for the Protection of Childhood serves626,0OO breakfasts daily thoughout the country.
To improve nutrition activities in the public health programs, there are nutritionists at the national and state levels. It is intended that within the next four years every state and all the major health regions shall have their own nutrionists to promote nutrition activities among nurses, auxiliaries, schoolteachers, home-improvement workers, and so on_
