Gwangju Seo-gu Implements 'Nutrition Plus' Program to Support Nutrition for Vulnerable Groups

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Seo Daeseok) announced on the 3rd that it will implement the ‘Nutrition Plus’ project to address the nutritional problems of vulnerable groups.

This project supports nutrition education and supplementary food tailored to the life cycle characteristics for about 230 vulnerable households and approximately 370 pregnant women and infants.

The project targets infants, pregnant women, and postpartum and breastfeeding mothers from households with income below 80% of the median income standard. Selection is made through anemia tests (measuring blood hemoglobin concentration), physical measurements (height and weight), nutritional intake surveys (24-hour recall method), and other nutritional risk factor investigations.

Selected participants receive customized food packages (6 types) to ensure balanced intake of necessary nutrients. Additionally, to promote proper eating habits and improve anemia, nutrition education is conducted once a month either face-to-face or online according to the COVID-19 situation. After six months of participation, nutritional status is evaluated to decide on extension.

In particular, for multicultural pregnant women and infants who have difficulty with childcare due to language barriers and different lifestyles, nutrition counseling and education are provided with the support of interpreters from the Seo-gu Multicultural Family Support Center.

Furthermore, education on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency treatment will be provided to Nutrition Plus participants to help them respond to emergencies that may occur while raising children.

Along with this, Seo-gu Public Health Center operates the ‘Expectant Mothers Health Class’ for pregnant women and the ‘Nighttime Couples Childbirth Class’ for expectant parents in parallel with the Nutrition Plus project.

A Seo-gu official stated, “Through nutrition management for pregnant women and infants, we will not only encourage balanced dietary practices but also implement various customized policies suitable for the COVID-19 situation to enhance the quality of healthy life.”