By OLIVIER C | Project Leader
Save Life Make Difference
Bujumbura Burundi
savelifemakedifference@gmail.com
In Burundi, the rate of chronic malnutrition is one of the highest in Africa. There is a situation of global acute malnutrition of 6% of the population with an underweight rate of 29% and a chronic malnutrition rate of 56% among children under 5 years old.
UNICEF and USAID join forces to combat severe acute malnutrition in Burundi even if Association Salimadi wanted to put a significant support the lack of funds affects the project
A USAID delegation visits the provinces of Ruyigi and Rutana to assess the progress of the project for the management of acute malnutrition in children under 5 years old in Burundi.
In several provinces of Burundi, many children suffer from malnutrition, caused mainly by poverty and lack of information. Among them, some are affected by severe acute malnutrition (SAM), a condition that directly threatens their survival. Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have a weakened immune system, become very exposed to other common diseases such as malaria, respiratory infections, intestinal parasites, and are more likely to die. To face this severe acute malnutrition, UNICEF, with the support of USAID, continues tirelessly to fight this devastating crisis.
Met at the Kwisumo health center, Faustine Niyonsaba, mother of Igiraneza Grâce, testifies to the impact of the project on her daughter's health: "Her body was changing, she was losing her hair and vomiting at every meal. But after starting the treatment, my daughter improved, she is much better now. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without the help received." Grâce was seriously ill, suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and her mother Faustine feared for her life because of the many difficulties she encountered and the lack of means to treat her. Today, Grâce is getting better and better.
@UNICEF Burundi/2024/T.NitekaFaustine Niyonsaba and her daughter Igiraneza Grâce being treated for malnutrition at the Kwisumo health center.
The beneficiaries of this project are children under 5 years old. According to Salimadi, the head of the Kwisumo health center, the support from this project is helping many families. “We try to do the follow-up well, and we notice that there is really a change in the community,” he explains. The screening of acute malnutrition cases is done according to a well-defined process. Trained community health workers consult the children. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases without medical complications are referred to the outpatient therapeutic service, while those with complications are referred to the district health hospital for therapeutic stabilization. Outpatient follow-up sessions for SAM children are held once a week, every Thursday.
However, despite this support, many challenges persist. Due to the poverty of the families, medicines intended for sick children are often shared with the whole family. Some families consider these medicines as food and believe that a child cannot consume them alone. This leads to a delay in the recovery of sick children and, sometimes, children are treated for a longer period than expected. “This situation leads to insufficient inputs because prolonged use for the same child exhausts resources faster. This poses a major challenge for us,” says Salimadi, thanking this project and the support they are getting.
After visiting Kwisumo Health Center, the delegation traveled to Rutana Province, Giharo Commune, where similar challenges were observed. James Hatungimana, the incumbent of Giharo Health Center, explains that the population in this province does not work enough, which leads to hunger in families. “Inadequate nutritional practice also causes malnutrition among children in this commune,” he adds, explaining that some parents, even if they have some resources, do not feed their children enough nutritious food and use their income for other things. According to James, this project is of great help to families in this area as cases are gradually decreasing
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By olivier ciza | PROJECT LEADER
By Olivier ciza | Project leader
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