Team PATA

How can we tackle the crisis of malnutrition?

Nine children die each minute from malnutrition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that annually malnutrition causes the death of up to 5 million children under the age of five. In sub-Saharan Africa, UNICEF has calculated that nearly one third of children are underweight. And undernutrition has even further devastating effects as it is the underlying factor in half of all childhood deaths from infectious diseases.

Even though these numbers are chilling, this is something that we all have to deal with in our clinics and wards every day, and as such measure need to be taken to deal with it. All the teams at the PATA Forum last year agreed on this point, as each clinic set at least one goal related to nutrition.

Teams felt that education was important, not only for the caregivers, but staff too needed to be educated and reminded about nutrition related issues. Teams also felt that the community at large needed to be taught about nutrition and intended to start media campaigns to do so.

Anthropometry was also found to be important. Teams wanted to acquire equipment and expand growth monitoring amongst their patients. Nutritionists needed to be hired. Home visits would be needed to better assess malnourished children. Teams also wanted to make ready-to-use therapeutic foods and other nutritional supplements available in their clinics. Some clinics also decided to start demonstration garden projects at their clinic.