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[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" column_margin="default" column_direction="default" column_direction_tablet="default" column_direction_phone="default" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" row_border_radius="none" row_border_radius_applies="bg" overlay_strength="0.3" gradient_direction="left_to_right" shape_divider_position="bottom" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_tablet="inherit" column_padding_phone="inherit" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" column_link_target="_self" gradient_direction="left_to_right" overlay_strength="0.3" width="1/1" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column_text]In Africa, the spread of the pandemic is having serious effects on malnutrition and it is the only place in the world where children are the most affected.
Household poverty and food uncertainty rates have increased. Essential nutritional services and supply chains are going on in a discontinuous way. Food prices have skyrocketed. As a result, the quality of the children's diet has decreased and malnutrition rates continue to rise.
A Lancet investigation shows that the predominance of severe malnutrition among children under five could increase by 14.3% in low- and middle-income countries, due to the socio-economic impact of COVID-19. This increase would mean over 10,000 additional children deaths per month, with over 50% of these deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. The estimated increase in severe malnutrition among children is just the tip of the iceberg, UN agencies warn.
Severe malnutrition is life-threatening in children, as it makes them too thin and weak, with a greater risk of dying, or of growing, developing and learning inadequately. But COVID-19 can also increase other forms of malnutrition in children and also in women, including stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity as a result of poorer diets and of the interruption of nutritional supplies.
Even in Kalongo, where hospitalized patients live much below the poverty line, the pandemic has worsen the already precarious situation of many families. Many people have lost their jobs and face many difficulties in having healthy diet and medical care.
The main victims of this emergency are the many malnourished children, whose number is growing day by day. In 2020, Kalongo hospital treated nearly 600 children suffering from malnutrition or born underweight. Many of them were also affected by malaria, anemia, pneumonia.
In the absence of an effective and timely action, COVID-19 will lead to a dramatic increase in malnourished children.
To deal with this emergency we are putting in place all the resources and skills necessary to promote antenatal visits, postnatal care and breastfeeding; to guarantee proper assistance to hospitalized children; to strengthen the visits in the area that can increase education in eating habits and reach those who, due to the pandemic, can no longer come to the hospital.
These simple but effective measures can make a difference for thousands of children that today more than ever are at risk of malnutrition. This is one of the many challenges we face.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type="No Line" custom_height="50"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" column_margin="default" column_direction="default" column_direction_tablet="default" column_direction_phone="default" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" row_border_radius="none" row_border_radius_applies="bg" overlay_strength="0.3" gradient_direction="left_to_right" shape_divider_position="bottom" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_tablet="inherit" column_padding_phone="inherit" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" column_link_target="_self" gradient_direction="left_to_right" overlay_strength="0.3" width="1/1" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid" bg_image_animation="none"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
