By Tunomukwathi Asino
CHIMOIO, MOZAMBIQUE – Some of the issues contributing to malnutrition in Mozambique are bad distribution of resources, education and the low human development index.
This was explained by Marcelo Castrillo, the technical deputy director of Clinical HIV/AIDS Systems (CHASS), an organisation working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Castrillo spoke to New Era on Tuesday on the sidelines of the visit to Primiero de Maio Health Facility, where six journalists from Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Tanzania are visiting a variety of projects run by the U.S Government, the U.N Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Castrillo was responding to a question on why there is a high malnutrition rate in Mozambique, despite the country being rich in resources.
Information provided to the journalists on tour indicates that 43 percent of Mozambique children suffer from malnutrition. Some of the mothers are allegedly advised not to breastfeed their children but to give them water, which contributes to malnutrition.
The programmes include USAID projects focused on treatment of moderate acute malnutrition and market development through an agribusiness service centre.
Together with the journalists are U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique Douglas Griffiths and the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, David Lane.
The Primiero de Maio Health Facility is one of 33 centres in the area, and attends to 10 suburbs. The centre attends to 20-26 women a day, Dr Flávio Roque a staffer at the centre said.
The centre is located in Chimoio City in Manica Province and caters for children with moderate acute malnutrition. The children are given food supplements to prepare at home, a 10 kilogramme monthly ratio per beneficiary.
The supplements are mixed with corn, soya and sugar. Parents are also advised to mix them with fruit.
For pregnant and lactating women, the provision is provided until the infant reaches six months. The programme supports approximately 20 000 individuals.