In Mongo, the fight against malnutrition involves life-saving care for children
At the provincial hospital of Mongo, children suffering from acute malnutrition receive vital treatment to regain their health
- English
- Français
In the early afternoon, during the rainy season, the hospitalization ward of the therapeutic nutrition unit at Mongo Provincial Hospital is calm. Some mothers are lying on their beds, while others sit with their sick children on mats or beside the beds. The health staff carry out follow-ups, check health records, and regularly monitor the children’s condition.
Among these mothers is Khadidja Hatap, 22 years old, a health student and mother of three. Her 9-month-old son, Hatap Souleymane, is nestled against her. The little boy was admitted a week ago, suffering from malaria, anemia, and diarrhea—complications that, according to the doctor, led to severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.
"His body was burning with fever, then he had diarrhea for several days,"
Khadidja recounts.
Upon arrival, Souleymane was treated with therapeutic milk to regain strength. Today, his condition is improving: he has resumed breastfeeding and also receives complementary feeding appropriate for his age.
A few meters away, another mother, 17-year-old Khadidja Mahamat, watches over her 2-year-old son, Ibrahim Hissein, who has been hospitalized for 11 days. Ibrahim was also admitted with severe acute malnutrition, following persistent vomiting and diarrhea.
This is not the first time that Hissein has fallen ill with malnutrition: he had already been treated at the age of one. Thanks to therapeutic milk, his condition has stabilized and he is returning to a normal diet.
"I have understood the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, and I will make sure he eats well,"
says Khadidja Mahamat.
For Tahir Adoum Djibrine, head of the therapeutic nutrition unit at Mongo Provincial Hospital, this time of year is particularly difficult:
From April to October, we see twice as many cases of severe acute malnutrition. It is also the lean season, when families’ food reserves run out before the next harvest.
He added that there was also an increase in malaria and acute respiratory infections among children.
In the Guéra province, UNICEF, with the support of European Union Humanitarian Aid, supports the prevention and treatment of malnutrition by providing equipment, nutritional supplies, and technical assistance to health facilities. This support ensures that every child can receive the care they need to grow up healthy.
