About 100,000 minors received treatment for severe malnutrition

Maputo, 7 May (AIM) –The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that approximately 100,000 children under the age of five have received treatment for severe acute malnutrition, in Mozambique.

In a statement, the organization explains that the treatment was provided this year, in a context of high food vulnerability, recurring climate shocks, and a funding deficit in nutrition programs.

“The acute malnutrition continues to reach critical levels, affecting approximately four percent of children in the country, including severe cases that represent an immediate risk of death”, reads the document.

The situation, according to the note, is aggravated by extreme events such as cyclones, floods, and droughts, which hinder families’ access to essential food and health services.

The organization points out that Mozambique is one of the 22 priority countries for the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RTTF) response, currently registering a deficit of approximately 18 percent of the financial resources needed to cover the projected demand.

“Cuts in development aid funding are directly impacting the ability to secure supplies, medicines, and logistics for the nutritional response”, the organization says.

On the other hand, pressure on health services tends to intensify during periods of food shortages and after climate shocks, compromising care for critically ill children.

According to the organization, strengthening funding for ATPU (Advanced Tumor-Based Nutrition) and primary health care is cruxi to prevent avoidable deaths and protect the gains achieved in the last decade.

.“It is fundamental to invest in preventive strategies, including adequate dietary practices and strengthening community health systems” reads the document.

Globally, approximately 42.8 million children suffer from malnutrition, of which 12.2 million in severe acute form, considered the most lethal.
(AIM)
Ad/