Maradi: Distribution of Nutritional Supplements to Combat Childhood Malnutrition
Maradi: Distribution of Nutritional Supplements to Combat Childhood Malnutrition
The Maradi region of Niger faces imported nutritional challenges, particularly among children. According to UN OCHA, it has a global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 12.9% and a severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rate of 2.3% among children aged 6 to 59 months. These rates are among the highest in the country, indicating a worrying situation. Only 8.7% of children aged 6 to 23 months consume a sufficiently varied diet for their growth. This means that the majority of children do not receive the nutrients necessary for healthy development.
Several factors contribute to malnutrition in the region, including food insecurity, inadequate feeding practices, frequent illnesses and limited access to health services. For Saoudé Issaka, a mother of four children, “when you live in an area where harvests are often bad due to droughts, it is difficult to feed the children properly. Sometimes there is not enough food for the whole family, which affects the health of children. ". For Nafissa Lawali, this is explained on the one hand because of “access to health care which is very limited in our village. When my children get sick, it is difficult to find a doctor or medicine. This worsens their nutritional status, especially when they suffer from diarrhea or malaria.” As for Sarahtou Ibrahim, mother of five children, “Our family’s income is very low. My husband and I work hard, but it's not enough to buy nutritious food. We often have to make do with simple meals that don’t provide all the nutrients our children need.”Faced with these challenges which are causing more and more victims, World Vision Niger has joined forces with the World Food Program (WFP) to set up the “Maradi Integrated Resilience Project” which has increased the resilience of communities by implementing several activities including those for improving children's nutrition. Monthly distributions of nutritional supplements are therefore carried out. “At the January 2025 distribution, 5,061 metric tons of nutritional supplement “Plumpy Sup” were shared for the benefit of 3,374 children aged 6-23 months from the three communes of intervention of the Project. This monthly ration to protect against malnutrition of children from vulnerable beneficiary households participating in Food For Asset activities is given in conjunction with conditional cash payments,” explains Hamadou Diaouga, the nutrition coordinator. Distributions of the nutritional supplement “Plumpy Sup” have several positive impacts such as reducing moderate acute malnutrition, improving the health and development of children, supporting vulnerable households and increasing recovery rates from malnutrition. moderate acute.“My son was very weak and often sick. We didn't have enough food to provide him with a balanced diet. Nutrition programs provided us with help that saved our children. Thanks to the support we received, he was able to regain his strength and regain his health. My child began to gain weight and develop normally. It changed our lives. I am so grateful for this help,” says Sarahtou Ibrahim. For Saoudé, “Seeing my children suffer from malnutrition was heartbreaking. They lacked energy and could not play like other children. The nutritional supplements they received made a huge difference. Now they are more active and healthier. »These testimonies illustrate the positive impact of nutritional interventions on the health and well-being of children and their families.These combined impacts help improve the resilience of communities to malnutrition and promote healthy development among children.