In Ecuador, chronic child malnutrition continues to represent a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas where access to essential services is limited. In these contexts, malnutrition is not only a matter of food availability, but reflects systemic barriers that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable segments of the population.
Within this framework operates RAICES – Red de Acción Integral Comunitaria para la Educación y la Salud Nutricional, a project that has received first place in the Local Development category of the 2025 Good Practices for the Reduction of Health Inequalities Award, promoted by the Pan American Health Organization.
The recognition refers to the work carried out in the provinces of Santa Elena and Chimborazo, where RAICES has helped strengthen coordination among families, communities, health services, and local authorities, promoting integrated actions for the prevention and treatment of chronic child malnutrition.
A territorial approach to nutritional health
RAICES is implemented by AVSI in Ecuador, in partnership with the Center for Nutritional Recovery and Education (CREN) and in consortium with Fundación Sembrar (founding member of Fondazione AVSI) and the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE), with funding from Fondo Italo-Ecuadoriano per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (FIEDS).
The project is based on the analysis of contexts in which chronic child malnutrition is closely linked to structural conditions of poverty, territorial isolation, and limited access to basic services. To address these challenges, RAICES has developed a territorial management model that brings together families, communities, public institutions, and civil society organizations in a coordinated manner.
Community centers and proximity-based services
As part of the project, AVSI Ecuador upgraded and equipped two community centers, transforming them into Prevention, Recovery and Treatment Units (PRTU) for chronic child malnutrition. The PRTUs provide nutritional support, assistance to families, and food education activities, becoming key reference points for the communities of Sicalpa and Santa Elena.
Between April and October 2025, project activities made it possible to:
- support the nutritional and psychomotor development of more than 300 girls and boys affected by chronic malnutrition;
- provide integrated guidance to more than 200 pregnant and breastfeeding women;
- carry out more than 20 community-based weight and height measurement campaigns in rural areas of Santa Elena and Colta;
- organize 38 cooking workshops aimed at promoting appropriate nutritional practices.
Strengthening capacities and local coordination
The project also included training and accompaniment activities for local stakeholders. In particular:
- more than 60 community leaders were trained in the prevention and management of chronic child malnutrition;
- 137 families received home-based accompaniment to strengthen care practices;
- more than 170 local public officials took part in training pathways to improve coordination of public services.
This process was complemented by a knowledge exchange visit to Brazil, which enabled an Ecuadorian delegation composed of local authorities and community leaders to visit the programs of the Center for Nutritional Recovery and Education (CREN) in São Paulo. The initiative fostered the exchange of intervention models and the strengthening of institutional and community capacities.
Research and innovation
RAICES also integrates a scientific research component, developed in collaboration with the International University of Ecuador, focused on improving early childhood nutritional health through the study of the intestinal microbiota and the use of local foods from Santa Elena and Sicalpa. The objective is to contribute to the generation of evidence to inform local interventions and public policies.
A replicable experience
The recognition from the Pan American Health Organization highlights an experience that combines community-based intervention, institutional coordination, and applied research. The awarded practices will be published to support their dissemination and adaptation in other contexts, contributing to regional exchange on effective approaches to addressing inequalities in child health.
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