Guamote issues intercultural ordinance against childhood malnutrition

The Municipal Council of the Decentralized Autonomous Government of the Guamote Canton approved Ordinance No. 005-GADMCG-2026, an intercultural regulation for the prevention and reduction of chronic childhood malnutrition (CCM) in the first thousand days of life. The text was published in Special Edition No. 1625 of the Official Registry of Ecuador, from Quito, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in the section of municipal ordinances of decentralized autonomous governments.

The ordinance was discussed in the first debate during an ordinary session on April 14, 2026, and in the second debate on June 9, 2026, and was sanctioned and signed by Mayor Miguel Marcatoma Lema on June 15, 2026. The certification of the regulation is the responsibility of the general secretary of the Council, attorney Marlene Caín Ortiz.

A priority problem in the Ecuadorian highlands

The regulation is framed within the National Strategy Ecuador Grows without Malnutrition, promoted by Executive Decree No. 1211 of December 21, 2020, and aligns with the National Development Plan “Ecuador does not stop” 2025-2029, whose objective is to reduce the prevalence of CCM in children under two years of age from 19.27% in 2024 to 15.27% in 2029.

The canton, located in the province of Chimborazo, also faces a structural deficit of safe water: according to the technical report from the sub-directorate of drinking water and sewerage, safe water coverage in the rural area is 31.51%, a determining factor in the incidence of malnutrition.

Axes of the cantonal public policy

The ordinance establishes seven intervention axes for pregnant women and children under 24 months:

• Safe water and sanitation.
• Health services: prenatal check-ups, well-child check-ups, micronutrient supplementation, vaccination, and comprehensive counseling.
• Child development services: care and stimulation.
• Education services, including the prevention of adolescent pregnancy.
• Protective environments: attachment, hygiene, and healthy eating.
• Early registration and identification of girls and boys.
• Prevention of violence and other violations.

Governance and financing

To execute the policy, the Intersectoral Cantonal Table of Guamote (MICG) is created, a permanent coordination space presided over by the mayor, which integrates parish GADs, ministries such as Public Health, Education, and Human Development, the Technical Secretariat Ecuador Grows Without Childhood Malnutrition, social organizations, and community governments. The table will develop an Intercultural Cantonal Multi-year Action Plan with a four-year validity, articulated with the Development and Territorial Ordering Plan.

Resources will come from the GAD’s budget allocation, agreements with public and private institutions, national and international cooperation, and donations. The ordinance sets a maximum period of 180 days for its implementation and provides for annual accountability to the citizenry.

The regulation makes Guamote a benchmark for local management of early childhood by incorporating an intercultural approach and community participation in the fight against a scourge that conditions the development of thousands of children in the Ecuadorian highlands.

Source: Official Registry of Ecuador, Special Edition No. 1625, Quito, September 9, 2026, Municipal Ordinances section, p. 2 (official reference: Ordinance No. 005-GADMCG-2026).