Tuesday 22 November 2011

MALNUTRITION: Viet Nam: Crucial Nutritional Support Helps Fight Hunger and Save Lives

17 Nov 2011 Source: member // AmeriCares
These happy faces say it all: 3,200 Vietnamese children no longer go hungry
These happy faces say it all: 3,200 Vietnamese children no longer go hungry, thanks to a Pediatric Nutrition Program supported by AmeriCares and its partners. In Vietnam, where one-third of children under age 5 suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition, this program is a shining example of hope and progress.
Sadly, there is much more work to be done to help families in developing countries around the world, where malnutrition is an all-too-common reality. Since 1985, when a deadly famine gripped Ethiopia, AmeriCares has played an active role in bringing lifesaving nourishment where it's needed most, with:
Immediate emergency deliveries of nutritional supplements to ease human suffering in famine-stricken Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia
Ongoing nutritional support, programs and grants: to help children, expectant moms and families facing chronic malnutrition in El Salvador, Malawi, Vietnam, Haiti, and throughout the developing world.
Lifesaving Nourishment for Famine Victims in the Horn of Africa
As thousands of families facing starvation pour into refugee camps in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, AmeriCares is scaling up its programs to combat severe malnutrition in the famine-stricken Horn of Africa. AmeriCares has rushed deliveries of enough nutrient-rich porridge -- especially beneficial for children under 5 and expectant moms - to provide 13,000 people with a daily supplemental feeding for one month. A therapeutic feeding center located in the newly constructed AmeriCares-supported field hospital in Kenya will ensure that the sickest, most vulnerable children and adults have access to continued nutritional interventions and lifesaving medical services. The semi-permanent facility, built and stocked by AmeriCares and operated by the International Medical Corps, is expected to be operational for at least two years.
Pediatric Nutrition Program Breaks the Cycle of Hunger in Vietnam
To combat high rates of chronic malnutrition in rural Vietnam, AmeriCares and its partners have supported a school-based Pediatric Nutrition Program that has improved the lives of more than 3,000 children ages 12 months to 5 years. Launched as a pilot in 2005, the program continues to expand, thanks to its remarkable success in reducing malnutrition rates and promoting growth in children facing dire nutritional challenges. Each child receives nutritious soy milk and protein-rich foods along with daily multivitamins and supplements. The program also provides health and nutrition training to students, teachers and parents to help break the cycle of hunger. Five-year-old Mi-Thien -- the first in her family to participate -- achieved such impressive height and weight gains that her parents enrolled her younger brother in the program "The soy milk is delicious and when I drink it, I feel full and good," said Mi.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/crucial-nutritional-support-helps-fight-hunger-and-save-lives

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