UNICEF wants to treat malnutrition in 10,000 children in the south

In a statement, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) said it was working with the governments of southern Angola's provinces on a project financed by the European Union's Directorate of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) which aims to "provide nutritional services quality essentials for children under the age of five".

The UN agency recalls that southern Angola is currently facing one of the worst droughts in the last 40 years, which has caused a reduction in agricultural and livestock production, leading to increased food insecurity and an increasing number of children suffering from malnutrition.

UNICEF's program includes the assessment of the nutritional status of children under the age of five in the provinces of Benguela, Cunene, Huambo and Huíla, whose preliminary results are currently being finalized, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health.

The malnutrition response program also includes training health professionals on the national protocol for managing acute malnutrition, so that teams assigned to nutrition activities are fully trained in child-saving practices.

"Some mothers and caregivers of children are also learning to measure the circumference of the children's arms, as a technique that can help to timely diagnose cases of malnutrition", the statement added, explaining that the immediate diagnosis of malnutrition helps ensure that children receive timely and appropriate treatment.

Between January and September 2021, UNICEF support has enabled more than 215,000 children to be tracked in their communities and more than 35,000 children with severe malnutrition to be referred to care services in various provinces in southern Angola.

In September, President João Lourenço created a 'task force' to fight hunger and drought in the south of the country and the Government is developing several actions, such as the construction of structural projects and the distribution of water and food to the population.