• Mothers have been trained to detect malnourished kids and refer them for treatment
• It has helped reduce severe acute malnutrition as cases are detected, treated early
Image: HESBORN ETYANG
For many years, they have been battling malnutrition cases. They have lost their young ones. But now they have taken the responsibility to manage malnutrition cases.
Malnutrition, a condition that results from nutrient deficiency or overconsumption, has been a killer “disease” among under-fives, women and expectant mothers in Turkana county.
They have been trained to use a simplified colour Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape, also called Family or Mother MUAC, for detecting and monitoring malnutrition among young children by mothers or caregivers themselves.
Mothers can now monitor their own children at home and refer those found to be malnourished to a CHV or healthcare facility for treatment as necessary.
Agnes Ekai from Naitangomo village in Loima subcounty says she is a living witness of the effectiveness of the tape in her life.
Ekai, whose source of income is making of mats that fetch such a meagre earning, says consistent use of the tape in her household has saved the lives of her three children.
Ekai thanked the efforts of the county government and Save the Children for training them on the use of the tape and urged them to roll out many trainings that will enable them to stop malnutrition cases.
Turkana nutrition officer Cynthia Lokidor says mothers and caregivers can prevent malnutrition cases if all families will embrace the use of MUAC tape for detecting wasted (too thin for height) children.
“The innovation has had tremendous success in Loima subcounty, where it is currently being piloted by the Health department and its partners,” she said.
She said Loima has been reporting fewer numbers of children relapsing to severe acute malnutrition status since the cases are easily detected and reversed at the moderate stage.
Lokidor said the caregiver is advised to measure the child after every two weeks and take the child to hospital when the child falls on red or yellow measurement of the Family MUAC (self-referral).
She called upon the partners to take cue from the recently launched County Nutrition Plan and act towards eliminating the perennial problem.
Lokidor said that upscaling the use of the tape to other subcounties must be prioritised to end malnutrition cases in the region.
The county government launched the County Nutrition Plan (CNAP) 2019-23 last year to improve the nutrition status of residents, with particular emphasis on women of reproductive age, infants and young children.
Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok said the plan intends to reduce the magnitude of malnutrition in Turkana and its impact on the individual, household, community, and the county at large through multi-sector coordination.
“Malnutrition continues to be a persistent public health problem in Turkana county despite the considerable investments that have been made by the government and partners in the last decade,” he said.
According to the SMART survey conducted in 2019, 25.6 per cent (78,311) children are wasted, 23.3 per cent (36,500) have stunted growth and 37.0% (58,000) are underweight.
Some of the contributing factors to malnutrition in the county include chronic and acute food insecurity, poor dietary diversity and low access to fortified foods.
Others are poor childcare and feeding practices, negative cultural beliefs and social norms, insecurity caused by inter-clan conflicts, recurrent droughts and floods, the report states.