The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation will implement a major new social welfare programme next year, which will see underprivileged mothers granted $190 to fund prenatal examinations and enable all women to provide their children with adequate nutrition.

Unicef will supervise the programme, while the ministry’s director-general, Touch Channy, told The Post on Thursday: “During pregnancy and until children reach two years of age, we will provide a grant totalling $190.”

“In the past, many women have not been able to go to the hospital for pregnancy examinations and, after children were born, they have been unable to feed them, causing the children to suffer intellectual impairment,” he added.

Channy said the ministry wanted expecting mothers to get regular health checkups, as well as spend the money on the child’s nutrition.

“Intellectual impairment is not a problem when children have adequate nutrition. The government is starting to invest in young children as they are the future human resources,” Channy said.

He said the government has set aside funding for the programme, which will begin implementation in June.