Senegal
Senegal gets new World Bank credit

afrol News, 16 March - The World Bank has announced its approval of a new euro 12 million credit for Senegal. The loan is to support the growth of children under three in poor rural and urban areas through community nutrition programs.

According to the international bank, it has approved a Senegalese project for child nutrition, which is to be financed by the government and international donors. The child nutrition project is within the context of the Senegalese poverty reduction programmes. 

The Senegalese project is also going to help to "build the institutional and organizational capacity to carry out and evaluate nutrition interventions," the World Bank informs.

Senegal has relatively high rates of malnutrition. According to the latest data of UNICEF, 4.1 percent of Senegalese children aged 0-5 years suffer from "severe underweight," while a total of 18.4 percent of the same age group suffers from underweight. The numbers are from a year 2000 survey.

According to UNICEF, good nutrition is the cornerstone for health and development. "Well-nourished children perform better in school, grow into healthy adults and in turn give their children a better start in life."

Sources: Based on World Bank, UNICEF and afrol archives

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