Foodie destination Peru combats child malnutrition

Peru, a shining star in Latin America's culinary firmament, is battling alarming rates of malnutrition in children and pregnant women.

More than two in every five children under the age of three -- 43.6 percent of the total -- suffer from anemia in the Andean country due to a poor diet, according to a family health survey done by Peru's statistics agency.

Nearly 30 percent of pregnant women suffer from anemia for the same reason -- an iron deficiency blamed on low consumption of meat, poultry or fish, the study revealed.

Both rates have remained unchanged since 2011 despite Peru's high economic growth over the last decade.

"Combating anemia is a priority for the government and we want it to be a priority for Peru," said President Martin Vizcarra at the start of a nationwide campaign.

"We need to lower it from 43 percent to the goal that we have set ourselves of 19 percent within three years," he said.

The irony is that Peru -- which draws 4.5 million tourists a year -- is increasingly known not only for its archeological wonders like Machu Picchu, but also as a foodie paradise.