KATHMANDU, May 21: A nationwide government nutrition assessment campaign has revealed a worrying rise in malnutrition among children in Nepal, with severe acute malnutrition cases increasing fourfold compared to previous findings.
According to the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, preliminary findings from the “National Nutrition Assessment Campaign” show that around four percent of children assessed were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, up from one percent in earlier assessments.
Lila Bikram Thapa, chief of the Nutrition Branch under the Department of Health Services, said the increase was detected after the campaign was expanded nationwide for the first time.
ENOUGH campaign launched to end child malnutrition and hunger i...
“This time, we carried out the campaign across the country, which helped identify more children suffering from severe acute malnutrition,” Thapa said. “Previously, assessments were limited to selected provinces.”
The ministry said severe acute malnutrition has been found more frequently in Karnali, Sudurpaschim and Madhesh provinces. Children suffering from the condition are often extremely thin, with visible ribs and severe weight loss.
Health officials said affected children are being provided with ready-to-use therapeutic food, while those requiring further care are referred to one of 25 rehabilitation centres operating in different provinces.
The campaign also found moderate malnutrition in around 12 percent of children. Such children are generally underweight, weak and below the expected weight for their age.
The campaign, launched on April 28, will continue to mid-June due to shortages of measuring equipment and limited resources in several local units.
The government aims to assess the nutritional condition of around 2.2 million children aged between six and 59 months through the campaign. Health workers and female community health volunteers are measuring the mid-upper arm circumference of children to identify malnutrition early and provide timely treatment.
RSS
