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Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health workers at Arua Regional Referral hospital are concerned about increasing cases of acute malnutrition among children.
Acute malnutrition is a form of under nutrition caused by a decrease in food consumption or illness that results in sudden weight loss. Often children with acute malnutrition have low weight for height and weakened immune systems and are at higher risk of dying from common childhood diseases according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr. Gilbert Aniku, a pediatrician at Arua Regional Referral hospital explains that they admit at least three to four cases of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition at the facility on daily basis, something he says is very worrying. According to Aniku, the need for parents to engage in economic activities like farming and business is the leading driver of acute malnutrition cases since they end up abandoning their children without food at home.
Meanwhile, Dr. Alex Andema, the Arua Regional Referral Hospital Director told Uganda Radio Network that, they have already laid down plans to revive the community health department of the hospital to carry out sensitisation campaigns especially on proper feeding of children as a strategy to tackle malnutrition cases.
But, Marlon Avutia, the Mayor of Ayivu Division in Arua city has advised parents not to abandon their responsibility of feeding their children and be mindful of the type of foods they feed their children on to avoid cases of malnutrition.
A recent report by UNICEF, indicate that severe acute malnutrition, wasting and stunting in children are highly prevalent in several districts in the West Nile sub region.
The 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey, estimates that malnutrition prevalence in the West Nile region in the region stood at 10.4 per cent which is high and above the national average of 3 per cent.
Globally, it is estimated that there are nearly 20 million children who are severely acutely malnourished with most of them found in south Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa.
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