UNICEF supported initiative helps identify and treat children suffering from malnutrition
UNICEF supported mother support groups help identify and treat children with severe malnutrition
Talimoro village lies in the mountainous heart of Timor-Leste, in the Ermera Municipality. As you approach the village, a mix of traditional thatched and rusted iron roofs stand out against the background of green jungle. The plants are beginning to sprout new leaves as the rainy season returns to this island nation in Southeast Asia.
Through this all, a single unpaved road, riddled with axle-breaking potholes snakes its way through the hills to Talimoro, providing the village’s only link to the world outside. It was along this road that an ambulance rushed a severely malnourished boy to a community health centre (CHC) in the municipal capital in Gleno after a UNICEF supported Mother Support Group (MSG) identified his condition during a cooking demonstration and screening programme. These MSG members live and serve in remote regions of Timor-Leste, providing educational programmes to identify acute malnutrition, raise awareness on recommended nutrition practices and vaccine uptake.
Once at the CHC in Gleno, healthcare workers determined the severity of Xavier’s condition, and immediately started him on a therapeutic milk diet to help build his body back up to a healthy state, while also treating any underlying diseases. When first admitted to in patient CHC, Xavier had a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of just 10 cm, weighed five kilograms, and was so weak that he could barely lift his head.
After spending several weeks at the CHC in Gleno, Xavier’s condition has improved, he is now able to eat solid food again, and he is slowly regaining his strength, according to the Nutritionist attending to him. The Nutritionist said that this is the second time that Xavier has required inpatient care for acute malnutrition, and they plan to reach out to his family over the coming months to ensure he and his siblings receive nutritious food.
Cases such as Xavier’s are common in Timor-Leste, as the young country grapples with the challenges of feeding a growing population amidst ongoing climate change, with a large number of people lacking awareness, and an inability by families to provide nutritious food for children. Xavier and his mother, Rosa, depend on yams and rice, occasionally supplemented with vegetables, for their diet, as is typical in remote villages in Timor-Leste.
Most often, newborn babies are not exclusively breastfed for six months, often due to poor knowledge on the importance of and support for early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, or receive poor nutrition after the introduction of complementary feeding. This contributes to one in every two children under 5 being defined as malnourished in the country.
MSGs, like the one that identified Xavier are volunteer groups of women who are trained and supported by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health. They conduct regular outreach initiatives in small Aldeas (villages) throughout Timor-Leste such as Talimoro.
UNICEF presently supports the groups in every village in the country. Several thousand volunteer members of the Mother Support Groups raise awareness about children’s nutrition, conduct screening and referral for acute malnutrition, organize cooking demonstrations with locally available diversified food, promote pre and ante natal care and encourage the uptake of routine vaccinations for children under 5.
Each month, MSGs identify a significant number of children who are considered malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished. Some of these are be resolved by providing advice to parents and guardians on improved infant and young child feeding practices. Others require referral to the nearest health facility for further treatment.
Separately, UNICEF is also supporting the Ministry of Health to train hundreds of health workers from across the country on infant and young child feeding practices.
These health workers then train MSG members in their respective health districts. In Timor-Leste, UNICEF provides support to the Health Promotion Department of MoH through Fundasaun Alola, Haburas Ita Moris (HIM) and TimorAid. This support is provided in partnership with the UNICEF Australia, the European Union and the Government of Japan.
