For decades, Ethiopia has been plagued by cyclical drought and chronic hunger with children worst hit.
Preventable diseases and malnutrition kill, on average, up to half a million Ethiopian children a year, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) country office.
In a recent survey, the results of which were released in May, Unicef found that acute malnutrition rates among children under five was rising at an alarming rate and ranged in parts of the country from 7,5% to nearly 20%.
Following an additional surge in cases of severe malnutrition cases among children, Unicef updated the findings of its survey carried out between January and April this year, and disclosed in early July that up to 170 000 children would die from this condition by the end of the year if they are not treated.
Unicef’s representative in Ethiopia, Bjorn Ljungquist, issued an urgent appeal to donors requesting them to fill a gap of $42-million to fund ”a package of life-saving treatments, screenings and other interventions”.
Ljungquist pointed out that seven million Ethiopian children suffer from some form of malnutrition every year, with serious consequences for their development.
Poor rainfall, failed crops and delays in the roll-out of a government safety-net programme were identified by the survey as the main causes. The crisis has been compounded by health and hygiene risks among people already weakened by a lack of food.
Severe acute malnutrition is a life-threatening condition and includes children ”who are 70% or less of the median in terms of weight and height measurements”.
The symptoms are severely wasted or marasmic children with oedema or swelling of both feet caused by fluid and sodium retention. This is also called oedematous malnutrition or kwashiorkor.
The survey identified 26 nutrition critical areas in Ethiopia where children with severe acute malnutrition could die, if they did not receive medical support including antibiotics and intensive, enriched foods for therapeutic feeding.
The stunting rate among Ethiopia’s 12-million children under five years is 52% — an indication of inadequate nutrition over an extended period, according to Unicef.
Stunting is particularly dangerous for women ”as they are likely to experience obstructed labour and are thus at greater risk of dying in childbirth”.
Unicef is currently trying to reduce the risk of children becoming malnourished through a joint initiative called the Enhanced Outreach Survey (EOS) with the World Food Programme and the Ethiopian government’s relief agency.
EOS monitors the health and nutritional status of about seven million children in drought-prone areas in need of supplementary feeding and vitamin A. So far, more than 2 000 health professionals have been trained in child survival intervention.
About 6 000 women in villages have been taught how to store and distribute food to beneficiaries in their localities and teach them the benefits of nutrition for mother-and-child care, according to the Ministry of Health.
Malnutrition is also a major concern among HIV/Aids infected in Ethiopia who number 1,5-million presently.
”Acute malnutrition contributes to the worsening of the conditions of persons living with the virus,” an expert at the health ministry said. – Sapa-DPA