Baboucar is 2 years old when his mother brings him to the clinic with pneumonia. He is seriously ill, he’s a fragile little guy. When measuring and weighing he also appears to be malnourished. His mother says he’s a picky eater. Since he’s off breastfeeding, he refuses to eat. He only takes chips and dry rice…
Malnutrition is a major problem in Senegal. Even in the city one of the five children under 5 years is malnourished. It makes them vulnerable to life-threatening diseases, physical development is inhibited and school performance will be adversely affected. Cause is not always poverty, but also the fact that there are no health centers and there is a lack of awareness about proper nutrition. I see the problem in my daily practice at the clinic.
This is why we start a special program for malnourished children and babies in December 2013, We screen children who come to the clinic for malnutrition, these children are then treated two afternoons a week and their growth is monitored. In addition, the mothers receive training through group discussions and individual counselling. With guidelines and materials from UNICEF and in collaboration with the regional hospital, we have thus the opportunity to improve the nutritional situation for thousands of children.
