WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TREAT?
First 1000 Days from conception (upto 2 years of age) is the most crucial phase of child life where maximum development of the Brain and all other vital organs occur. If the Pregnant mother and child is deprived of proper nutrition during this time damage to the brain and body will be irreversible.
It can be easily visualized in the given image.
SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) and MAM (Mild Acute Malnutrition) are the terms widely used now or categorizing the malnourished children. Children with SAM have severe chances of getting infection and subsequent morbidity and mortality than normal children.
URBAN INTERVENTION
Situation in the Project Area i.e. M East Ward of MCGM ( various slum areas and Resettlement colonies): Malnutrition among children below 5 years of age is a major health problem in M East ward of Mumbai. The malnutrition prevalence ranges upto 60% 16% to 59.8 % in this area. The Govt sources confirm that at least, a quarter of children below six years in the city weighed at anganwadis are underweight, according to the latest monthly progress report (MPR) of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) [1] . In Sathe Nagar of Mankhurd, the Under nutrition percent is 41.67 [2] while in Rafique Nagar of Govandi 59.8% are undernourished (SAM- 22.2% and MAM- 37.6%) [3] . The data collected at the Doctors For You health centre in Mankhurd suggests that 35.16% children below 5 years of age are malnourished (15.1% Severe Underweight and 20.1% Moderate Underweight). Researchers working in the field have suggested that IMR in certain pockets of the ward could in fact be way above 100/ 1000 live births [4] . Diarrhoea and pneumonia account for approximately half the under five deaths in India, and malnutrition is believed to contribute to 61% of Diarrheal deaths and 53% of pneumonia deaths.
RURAL INTERVENTION
30 kms radius of Mashari village, Fatuha block in Bihar. Statistics say that there are more than 58% children affected by malnutrition in Bihar. Close to 90 percent of these were less than two years old, 87 percent belonged to the poorest and most vulnerable castes and more than 60 percent were female
PROJECT NAME - Community Based Management of Under Nutrition among children below 5 years.
OUTCOME
- Medical and Nutritional rehabilitation of children categorized as SAM and MAM.
- Nutritional Counselling and training in home-based care for mothers and family members of these children.
- Capacity building of Mukhya Sevikas and Anganwadi workers and helpers in identification and treatment of malnutrition.
- Quarterly follow up for along with supportive monitoring and Nutritional counselling.
- Creation of a band of Nutrition Champions among the community members as a part of sustainable development.
IMPACT
- Improvement in weight and thereby mental and physical growth of the child.
- Improved compliance with Routine Immunisation for these children.
- Reduction in episodes of Infection (Diarrhoea and Respiratory Tract Infections) for the treated child.
- Better learning and cognitive functions for the treated child.
- Financial savings in the future for the family on account of reduced spells of infections for the treated child.
- Healthy future, both physical and Mental and improved quality of life.
- Improved capacity of Anganwadi workers and helpers in identification and management of malnourished children.
- Registration and strategic planning of network of Aanganwadis for effective implementation of the project
- Improved capacity of mothers and families in terms of nutritional knowledge & information and thereby prevention of malnutrition in future.
- Creation of a band of ‘Nutrition Champions’ from among the mothers who successfully participated in the project to give sustainable impact to the program. Improved knowledge and awareness of these champions through training and periodic refresher training.
We are guilty of many errors and faults,but our worst crime is abandoning the children. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot.Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer ‘tomorrow’. His name is Today’..
- Gabriele Mistral
For more details about the program, write to info@doctorsforyou.org