Life-saving malnutrition treatment reaches over 100,000 children in Sierra Leone

Freetown – It is feeding time at the In-Patient Facility (IPF) Ward of the Ola During Children’s Hospital, in Freetown, a 28-bed ward where children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) receive round-the-clock treatment and care from a team of 24 dedicated healthcare workers. Amidst the chatters and noise of babies crying in the ward, mothers of children admitted there line up with their cups to receive the morning dose of the feeding formulas.

On Bed 18 of the IPF Ward, Victoria feeds Sento, her ten-month-old baby girl who was referred to the hospital two weeks ago from the local health facility in Lungi, after she was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Victoria noticed that her daughter was losing weight, was constantly crying, and was becoming increasingly weak and lethargic. She decided to take her to the nearest health facility for medical check and treatment. She believes that she could have lost Sento if not for the timely intervention they got at the hospital.

“I had reached a point where I thought my child was going to die,” she says. “But I am very grateful that we were sent here on time to get treatment,” she adds. Messi Foday, a nurse at the Ward, confirms Victoria’s fears. “Sento was brought in severely malnourished and also had other health complications, so she needed close monitoring”.

According to the Sierra Leone National Nutrition Survey 2021, more than 25 per cent of children under-five years of age are stunted and nearly 260,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition on an annual basis. The current global socio-economic situation which is characterized by rising inflation, increasing fuel and market prices has further worsened food insecurity. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have exacerbated the situation, with direct and adverse impacts on people’s livelihoods, human security and the economy, including on children’s health and nutritional status.

With generous support from the Government and people of Japan, UNICEF supports the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Scaling Up Nutrition Secretariat to improve timely identification and referral of severely malnourished children, and to ensure uninterrupted treatment of severe malnutrition and wasting. This includes positioning adequate quantities of Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and F-75 and F-100 high protein and energy milk-based formula at health facilities across the country.

Messi and other health workers in the facility have been working tirelessly since Sento’s admission to ensure that she receives the proper nutrition and medical care to stabilise her and help her to recover. Over the past two weeks, Sento has been gradually gaining weight and showing signs of improvement. She weighed 4 kilos when she started her treatment and now she is one kilo heavier. Victoria is glad and optimistic about her recovery, “I am overjoyed about my daughter's health is improving and I am grateful for the care and support my daughter is receiving from the hospital”.

“Through this partnership, significant strides have been made to reduce malnutrition and improve child health outcomes in the country,” says Katherine Faigao, Nutrition Specialist, “As a result of these efforts, 101,518 children with malnutrition in two high burden districts, Bo and Western Area Urban, have been reached with treatment and care,” she adds.

The support also helps health workers to mentor 114,429 caregivers on how to keep track of their children’s health using the Family MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) approach, through community outreach efforts.

Through the regular “Health Talks” delivered at the facility by health workers, Victoria has learned to feed Sento using locally available food when they are discharged from the health facility and has vowed to become a nutrition ambassador by sensitising other mothers about the importance of feeding themselves well during pregnancy and breastfeeding, feed their children well and to seek treatment early when they are sick. “When I’m back in y community, I will advise my friends to exclusively breast feed their babies until they are six months old and to give their children good food so they not fall sick as Sento did,” she says.

As Sento continues her treatment, Victoria is hopeful that Sento will return home soon and will continue to grow and thrive. “I have learned a lot from this experience. I will continue feeding Sento well to ensure she doesn’t get sick again, but rather grow up healthy and strong and be able to take care of me when I get old,” she concludes.

Nurse Messie Foday adds that while major gains have been made in raising awareness about malnutrition and the benefits of proper nutrition, more support is needed to keep educating communities on good feeding, hygiene and sanitation practices, to keep the momentum on improving the nutritional status of women and children in Sierra Leone.