During the last 9 months, Dr Albino and his team have managed to recover more than 1000 children with various malnutrition pictures (of which 80 were in a critical situation) in the facilities of their Centers for Prevention and Recovery of Child Malnutrition.

These children and their families join the more than 31,000 who have been assisted by this organization, which is present throughout the country, in its 27-year history. In the CONIN Centers, children receive medical care, stimulation and food while their parents are trained in nutrition workshops and in other activities that provide them with knowledge for a job opportunity.

"For many years we have been accompanying Dr. Albino in this noble and necessary cause. The effort, dedication and absolute dedication of all the professionals and volunteers that make up the CONIN team throughout the country, drives us to continue working with them in the fight against child malnutrition", highlights Federico Tomasevich, president of PUENTE Holding Ltd.

Recover children, contain families and train professionals

Based on the preventive and compulsory isolation regulations, CONIN focused on the care of children admitted to its own centers and on providing outpatient and home care to children with moderate and severe malnutrition; always applying the new protocols and standards (developed for this purpose) to comply with current sanitary provisions.

Food assistance to the more than 2,500 families participating in this program was sustained without interruption, as well as the delivery of educational and preventive material. Once the quarantine was made more flexible in Mendoza, the expansion of patient care began and the speech therapy services -for children with swallowing disorders- and dentistry for emergencies were reactivated.

In addition, online trainings were organized in specific areas (nutrition, child play, child abuse, communication, etc.) and meetings to exchange experiences with the participation of more than 700 volunteers and professionals who make up the CONIN network throughout the country.

27 years of struggle

Founded in September 1993 by Dr. Abel Albino, CONIN works focused on breaking child malnutrition in Argentina, in order to guarantee equal opportunities for all. With more than 100 centers distributed in 18 provinces, the CONIN Method is based on the ample evidence that exists regarding which comprehensive nutritional intervention programs, taking into account social and psycho-affective factors in conditions of poverty and underdevelopment, prevent infant morbidity and mortality, also improving growth and development.

Each CONIN Center establishes intervention strategies with a high health impact on the low-income population in its area of influence, with a high social impact. The mothers and / or fathers and / or adults in charge, accompany the children during the outpatient follow-up or hospitalization, since the success of the treatment does not only consist in an adequate nutritional intake, but also, of the affection and stimulation that the child receive. In addition to ensuring that it is sustainable.

In its treatment centers, more than 2,500 severely malnourished children have been recovered and more than 31,000 children and their families have participated in human promotion and food assistance programs.

To learn more about the arduous task of Dr. Albino and his team, we invite you to visit the entity's website: https://www.conin.org.ar/

With the support of PUENTE, more than a hundred professionals, health promoters and volunteers received training on the Salud Darnos web platform to accompany nearly 80 pregnant and postpartum mothers (mostly adolescents) who participate in breastfeeding programs. and oral health at the Centers in Escobar, Olivos, San Isidro and José C. Paz.

"Health is one of the axes of our Social Responsibility policy and the first years of life are key to the physical and intellectual development of all people. For this reason, we accompany the programs that Salud Darnos develops to contribute to the care, attention and containment of many families who are living in situations of extreme vulnerability", said Federico Tomasevich, president of PUENTE Holding Ltd.

In the context of the pandemic, not being able to carry out face-to-face activities, professional teams and volunteers worked on the production of materials (brochures, audios and videos) to incorporate into online workshops for families, with a special focus on mothers.

In the more than 30 workshops carried out, recommendations were provided on oral hygiene habits and healthy eating to avoid offering sugar to babies before their two years of age.

On the other hand, for the care of the more than 80 pregnant women and postpartum women (most of them adolescents) who make up the various programs of the Foundation, the assistance via WhatsApp of individual consultations was strengthened and talks were organized by Zoom, since there were no I could train or attend them personally.

Once some activities were enabled -in the framework of preventive and mandatory isolation-, progress was made in the donation of more than 150 bags of vegetables, as well as mattresses, blankets, diapers, baby clothes and furniture for families in very marginal situations.

From the joint work with the Vicente López Dental Circle, the Montessori Foundation and CONIN, more and more families benefit from the actions carried out by Fundación Salud Darnos.

Vocation for health

In 2007, a national epidemiological study was carried out in our country, the main objective of which was to find out the periodontal treatment needs of the Argentine adult population. The results of this study indicated that 97% of the adult population in the country has, or is at risk of having some type of periodontal disease.

In light of these shocking results, Salud Darnos was born, an organization made up of a multidisciplinary team that works to improve the health of those who live in the most marginal neighborhoods of the Buenos Aires suburbs.

The organization works together with other entities and community organizations to carry out workshops on oral health, breastfeeding and early childhood. In addition, it accompanies the neediest families in each place with basic necessities (clothes, blankets, diapers, food, cleaning products).

To learn more about the arduous task of Saludarnos, we invite you to visit the entity's website: https://saludarnos.org/