Acute malnutrition threatens the lives of vulnerable children in the Great Southeast of Madagascar
After cyclones swept the country in February 2022, this part of the main island was once again impacted by cyclone Freddy in February 2023. According to projections, 115,000 children will need to be treated for acute malnutrition this year.
Around one hundred mothers with their children have gathered this morning in front of the health center of Anosy Tsararafa, in the southeast of Madagascar. Most of them had to seat on the floor since there are not enough benches to accommodate everyone in attendance. 24-year-old Soa came with three of her four children, including twins Marina and Julien, who are seven months old. With one child in her arms, another on her back and the last one walking quickly alongside her, Soa hurries to join the others.
“I brought my children to get a checkup at the health center because they have been losing weight for four weeks. Here, they will receive the necessary treatment”, she confirms. The twins are both suffering from acute malnutrition. Julien presents with moderate wasting, while Marina has severe wasting, the deadliest kind of undernutrition.
While being closely watched by the mothers, health agent Kamosa Arisaina Vetas starts the day by raising awareness about nutrition, diet and hygiene. He then continues by weighing each child and measuring their arm circumference. “109 millimeters”, he says to his colleague after examining Marina’s arm. Even though she put on 100 grams in a week, she is still in the red zone, which means she is still severely malnourished. Soa receives ready-to-use therapeutic food rations provided by UNICEF to treat Marina. For Julien, Marina’s twin, she receives a treatment based on a product adapted for moderate forms of malnutrition provided by the World Food Programme.
“All the mothers came for malnutrition screening and for their children to receive the adequate treatment. Agriculture was ravaged by the cyclones, which caused malnutrition among children from already vulnerable households”, Vetas explains. According to the latest analyses of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, around 874,000 people suffer from acute food insecurity in the Great Southeast of Madagascar.
A global call
On 12 January 2023, UNICEF launched a global call, along with four other United Nations agencies, regarding the necessity of immediate action to protect the most vulnerable children in the 15 countries hardest hit by an unprecedented food and nutrition crisis, including Madagascar. Because of climate shocks, the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs of living, more and more children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
With the morning ending, Soa and her children go back home, 20 minutes away by foot from the health centre. Her oldest daughter, who is six years old, just came back from the village preschool, where hot meals are served by the school canteen. Soa prepares some breadfruit for lunch. It grows in the wild and is often used to meet food needs, particularly during the hunger gap season. Meanwhile Clovis, her husband, is back from fishing with a few small fish.
“That’s all I managed to catch today. We have to eat them because people don’t want to buy small-sized fish. Our rice field was ravaged by the cyclones and, for now, we have to eat whatever we can find” explains the father of the family.
The situation in the Great Southeast of Madagascar could get even worse following cyclone Freddy, which hit on the night of February 21, 2023. According to projections, 115,000 children in these regions will need to be treated for acute malnutrition this year. Humanitarian actors, including UNICEF, are focused on rolling out a coordinated and large-scale response to avoid deaths and support the health system. “We work closely with community agents for malnutrition screening and treatment. Multiple actions are ongoing and must be continued so that we can fight against malnutrition and food insecurity”, insists Vetas, who is worried about the situation of children in his community.
© UNICEF/UN0794156/Andriantsoarana
Soa and her children eat breadfruit inside their house during lunch.
© UNICEF/UN0794161/Andriantsoarana
Clovis, Soa’s husband, in front of boats after catching a few fish.
© UNICEF/UN0794157/Andriantsoarana
Portrait of Soa and her family in front of their house.
