• Santa Elena is the second province in the country with the highest rate of chronic child malnutrition, affecting more than 29% of children under 5 years of age.
• More than 350 children and pregnant women are included in the Program maintained by the Charity Board in Sinchal, Santa Elena, for the eradication of Chronic Child Malnutrition and will be part of the measurement day.

Guayaquil, August 2025.- With the aim of combating chronic child malnutrition, the Guayaquil Charity Board (JBG) carried out the annual medical measurement on 100% of children and pregnant women in the Sinchal commune, province of Santa Elena. On Thursday, September 4 and Friday, September 5, from 06:00 to 16:00, the institution led a comprehensive medical day, benefiting more than 350 children under 5 years of age and pregnant women.

Since 2023, the Guayaquil Charity Board has implemented a methodology in Sinchal to eradicate Chronic Child Malnutrition called 5Cs: Census, Coordination, Compliance, Training and Collaboration. The main actions include:

• Door-to-door census carried out on more than 600 families in Sinchal, initially identifying 265 children under 5 years of age and 90 pregnant women, a figure that today exceeds 350 beneficiaries.
• Coordination through a Territorial Table with public and private actors coordinated to guarantee complete vaccination in mothers and children, healthy child check-ups, prenatal check-ups, registration and inclusion in governmental social protection programs.
• Delivery of food for Compliance to each of the families that are included in the program, to the extent that they have carried out their monthly check-ups.
• House-to-house training in agreement with the Casa Grande University and monthly delivery of food conditioned to compliance with medical check-ups for healthy children and pregnant mothers, to all children under 5 years of age in the commune and pregnant women.
• Collaboration with authorities and civil society, to improve the quality of water and the quality of life of the community.

For the purpose of measuring the results of the last two years of work in the area, samples were taken and general medical check-ups were carried out by the Roberto Gilbert Hospital of the Board. A contingent of 30 specialists participated in this measurement day, including pediatricians, gynecologists, nurses and technicians from the Roberto Gilbert Hospital, with the support of mobile offices equipped with the latest technology. The processes that were carried out include:

• Medical and anthropometric evaluations.
• Taking samples for nutritional diagnosis.
• Prenatal and gynecological check-ups.
• Delivery of food kits to reinforce healthy habits.

With this intervention, the JBG was able to analyze and share the progress made in the community of Sinchal, where the model is already being replicated in the communes of Barcelona and Loma Alta, with the expectation of extending it to other areas of the country.

The Charity Board reaffirms its mission to provide comprehensive, free and quality care to the most needy sectors of the country, confirming its commitment to go out to meet those who need it most, making helping its great work.