El Salvador

Milan 2017

1. By 2020, reduce the prevalence of stunting and severe stunting below 16% under 2 years of age, and below 13% under 5 years.

2. Reduce the prevalence of moderate and severe wasting below 2%.

3. Maintain or reduce the incidence of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years of age to 6%; in children aged 7 to 9 years to less than 22%; in young people aged 13 to 15 years to below 38%; and in adults to below 59%.

4. Increase the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding from 46.7% to 53%, increase the continuity of breastfeeding until the child reaches one year to 74% and increase the continuation of breastfeeding until the second year of life to above 57%.

Reported progress

1. According to the results of the National Health Survey (ENS 2020-2021), the prevalence of chronic malnutrition in children under 5 years of age went from 13.6% in 2014 to 10%. This represents a decrease of 3.6 percentage points, which reflects that the goal of reducing the indicator below 13% was achieved

2. In the case of wasting (acute malnutrition) in children under 2 years of age, the ENS 2020-2021 indicates a value of 2.9%, which reflects a slight increase from 2%, due to the impact of recurrent climatic events and cyclical and health crises, such as Covid, in recent years.

3. The country has not shown progress towards achieving the commitments to reduce overweight and obesity. According to the ENS 2020-2021, the overweight indicator has increased from 6% to 8.3% for children under 5. There is no updated data on the incidence of overweight and obesity for schoolchildren and adolescents

4. According to the 2014 Health Survey, the exclusive breastfeeding indicator is 46.7% in infants aged 0 to 5 years. Although there is no updated data to date, the Ministry of Health has promoted various initiatives working jointly with the Office of the First Lady, for nutritional improvement. These initiatives, aimed at early childhood, have had an impact on improving the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age. Actions under this strategy have been evaluated through indicators that measure progress in the reduction of complications, both in the health of the mother and the newborn, obtaining an 88% advance in the implementation of early attachment of the newborn-mother, the early initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of life by 71% and 43% in the application of psychoprophylactic support measures for childbirth. The Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Office of the First Lady, inaugurated 5 Human Milk Collection Centres in 2021, located in the following health facilities: National Hospital "Santa Teresa" in Zacatecoluca, National Hospital "Dr. Juan José Fernández, Integral Centre for Mother and Child Care and Nutrition (CIAMIN) in San Julián (Sonsonate), Cara Sucia Maternal Waiting Homes and Puerto de La Libertad.