More Than Three Thousand Children Recovered From Acute Malnutrition In Mozambique

"We managed, in this program, to recover a total of 3,175 children from malnutrition and this represents a recovery rate from severe acute malnutrition of 91%", explained the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), Dezi Mahotas, on the sidelines of the first session of the steering committee of the program that aims to "improve child nutrition" in the districts most affected by Cyclone Idai, which hit central Mozambique in 2019.

The official added that, during this period, more than 1,600 communities were certified free from open defecation, as well as 268 water sources were built, benefiting around 80 thousand people.

"In this fourth year, despite the challenges, the program significantly accelerated the implementation of activities, achieving important results, part of the Mozambican Government's reconstruction efforts in the provinces most affected by the cyclones," said Mahotas.

The representative of the UN fund highlighted that the program represents the "firm commitment", also from the European Union, to support key interventions "to combat malnutrition in the province of Sofala and beyond".

When speaking at the meeting, the Secretary of State in Sofala, Cecília Chamutota, recalled that, until 2020, right after Cyclone Idai, chronic malnutrition had a rate of 36% and acute malnutrition 5.3%.

The leader stressed that these data show that the work being carried out has had an effect, but that there is still a lot to be done: "We are convinced that, with combined efforts and everyone's collaboration, it is possible to further improve the results achieved so far, so we appeal to everyone's participation. We reiterate that we will do everything we can to ensure that malnutrition levels are increasingly lower."

For her part, the representative of the European Union (EU), Ylenia Rosso, said that this steering committee is a platform coordinated by the Government and partners with the aim of presenting and discussing the gains achieved and challenges faced during the implementation of the program, proposing recommendations .

"We intend to reinforce the focus on sustainability for the continuity of the programs and gains achieved during the last four years and replicate them to the other districts to guarantee the continuation of interventions in the Government's priorities. We will continue working together and supporting the Government in strengthening the institutional capabilities in terms of systems and services", he assumed.

The executive secretary of the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SETSAN), Leonora Monjane, stated that, in the last ten years, the rate of chronic malnutrition in children under five years of age was 43%, denoting that these are levels which remain very high in the country.

"We intend to find corrective and preventive measures for this scenario. We also know that Sofala, with Cyclone Idai, created more food security problems, [which is why] we regressed [in] the food security indicator," she added.

Even so, he highlighted: "We are pleased to note the alignment of the objectives of this program, which is to improve the nutritional status of children aged 0 to 5 years and pregnant and lactating women, with nutritional food security policies and strategies."