MALNUTRITION: Chad

The Sahelian belt of Chad suffers from chronic food insecurity. Regularly affected by poor cereal production due to adverse weather and inadequate rainfall, inhabitants are resilient but vulnerable. For many years, the rate of acute malnutrition has been worrying.
This year it will be even worse, and a cause for concern is slipping into an emergency. A “nutritional crisis” is under way. That means more than a hundred thousand children between 6 months and 59 months will need treatment for severe malnutrition. This year, many more will need supplementary food for the lean season which started earlier and is hitting harder. People have already used their hoarded grain, and many men have left north-western regions seeking work elsewhere to provide for their families. As always, children will be the first ones to suffer and, if nothing is done, they will be the first to die.
The current nutritional crisis in the Sahelian belt of Chad is the result of many factors – climate change, food insecurity, poor access to health services, insufficient access to safe drinking water and inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
UNICEF and its partners have scaled up relief actions and UNICEF is providing therapeutic foods. In addition, the Ministry of Health’s capacity to respond to the crisis is being strengthened while support is being given that enables hard pressed health workers to deliver a minimum package of health and nutritional interventions. The strategy being put in place with UNICEF guidance and support calls also for the detection and referral of malnourished children at health facilities treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), the promotion of key family behaviours, And other key actions revolving around the provision of crucial micronutrients and promoting the washing of hands, using clean water and having adequate sanitation provision.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/108321