File

Kathmandu, June 14

The National Nutrition Assessment Campaign conducted by the government has found that more than 18,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The Ministry of Health and Food Safety had launched a campaign to find out the nutritional status of children.

Releasing the statistics of the campaign, Head of the Nutrition Section of the Department of Health Services, Lila Bikram Thapa, shared that 18,309 children have been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Out of 1.035 million children tested during the campaign, 18,309 children were found to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The campaign was held from April 28 to May 29 this year to examine the nutritional status of children aged 6 months to 59 months.

“Since the number of severe acute malnutrition is high, a plan will be developed and implemented to address the situation.” The highest number of SAM cases was found to be in 8,380 children in Madhesh, 3,015 in Lumbini, 1,758 in Sudurpaschim, 1,590 in Koshi, 1,503 in Karnali, 1,401 in Bagmati and 662 in Gandaki Province.

The children who have been diagnosed with SAM have been given ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), which will help them to return to normal condition. For children who have not returned to their previous condition after RUTF, both mothers and children are treated through 25 rehabilitation centres across the country.

Similarly, the highest number of children with acute malnutrition was seen in Madhes Province, with 38,948 children, said the Nutrition Branch Chief Thapa. Likewise, 17,879 children in Lumbini, 9,344 in Sudurpaschim, 6,596 in Koshi, 6,480 in Bagmati, 5,989 in Karnali and 2,969 in Gandaki Province were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition.