Malnutrition campaigns bear fruits as mothers go to health centers
“World Vision has helped raise awareness among mothers about effect of malnutrition on their children. Before they would go to traditional healers when they were sick and these healers just dupe them with their money. The campaign has encouraged mothers to go to the health center for health monitoring and check-up”, said Gabriel Domingos, the Nutrition Supervisor of Humpata Municipality.
Last year’s drought was the most devastating the municipality with estimated 70 percent of the people affected. Domingos added, “The drought increased the malnutrition cases for lack of food for children. The rains have started and the situation is much better.” Isaac Agustinho, the Officer-in-charge of the Health Center said, “But even if people have planted, it will take them at least four months to harvest. The impact of the drought can still be felt.”
Artur Caires, World Vision’s Provincial Coordinator for Agriculture in Huila Province in Angola emphasized the need for partnership of programs on nutrition and agriculture. He said, “On the long-term, it is good to educate families how to grow vegetables and crops that will provide good nutrition especially to children. It is also sustainable because when the assistance ends, they can keep producing resources for their own sustenance.”
In a visit to one of the communities in Humpata municipality, children undergoing measurement for mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) to check their health status. Community health mobilizer Teresa Joana Ndunguvyougo, 53, said 15 out of the 30 children brought to the activity were found moderately malnourished and were provided with supplements.
A health mobilizer since 2014, Teresa has seen how the campaign has progressed for three years. “Before it was difficult to bring the mothers to come. It was also a challenge for me to follow the meticulous process of MUAC and the documentation. I have learned a lot in this work. I am happy to witness how malnutrition has gradually gone down in the communities I work with,” she shared smiling.
World Vision’s European Union-funded Nutrition Program in the municipality supports the awareness raising activities for 300 mothers, the health monitoring of around 500 children and provision of supplementary food to those who are malnourished and needing care. The program provides vegetable seeds for families with children found affected by malnutrition to help supplement their nutritional needs. World Vision has so far screened 160,000 children in Huila and Cunene provinces.
“The nutritional status of children between six and 59 months old is improving because of the efforts of the Ministry of Health and World Vision. The work of the community health agents is key because they are the ones who identify malnourished children in their communities so that they can start treatment early”, said Robert Bulten, World Vision’s Director for Health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation.
He added, “However, more needs to be done to prevent malnutrition among children. There is a real need to implement a large-scale long-term development program focused on the underlying causes that include the lack of awareness on proper feeding practices, exclusive breastfeeding, hygiene and sanitation as well as food insecurity.”
