MARIENTAL – Malnutrition continues to wreak havoc in Omaheke after the region recorded 300 cases in six months.
The new statistics were revealed yesterday by regional governor Pijoo Nganate during the opening of the high-level meeting on the impacts of uranium mining in the Stampriet transboundary aquifer system.
“From January to June, we recorded 300 cases of malnutrition, 263 admissions and nine readmissions, and 26 deaths. People in my region are dying from hunger. Being a gatekeeper for the region, I stand ashamed that I cannot save my people from dying of hunger,” he stated.
The meeting took place yesterday in Mariental in the Hardap region.
During the first half of last year, the region recorded about 132 cases of malnutrition between January and June.
During the same reporting period, a total of 45 children under the age of five died as a result of malnutrition. Malnutrition is caused by deficiencies or excesses in nutrient intake, imbalance of essential nutrients, or impaired nutrient utilisation. The double burden of malnutrition consists of undernutrition, overweight and obesity, as well as diet-related non-communicable diseases. Weight loss due to the depletion of fat and muscle mass, including organ mass, is often the most obvious sign of malnutrition.
Muscle function declines before changes in muscle mass occur, suggesting that altered nutrient intake has an important impact that is independent of the effects on muscle mass.
When Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah visited the region last year, she was highly disturbed by the growing cases of malnutrition amongst school-learners and small babies. She said something urgently needs to be done to arrest the problem, and that a multi-sectorial approach will be needed to ensure the crisis is fully- addressed.
“One can see that there is a problem here, and the cases are rising again. After listening to the regional leadership, it is clear that the decrease in the number of soup kitchens has also contributed to the problem, and that is one area we must look at. We need to bring back more soup kitchens for the needy – and that will need a multi-sectorial approach, as they must be run in a sustainable manner,” she said at the time. Nganate added that with a population of 102 000 and a 39% unemployment rate, it shows how destitute and vulnerable his people are. “When the issue of uranium exploration came to our ears, we were all excited that maybe this is the end of our miserable life – but we later heard it could be lost,” said the governor. -mndjavera@nepc.com.na