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Acute malnutrition reaches alarming levels in Chad capital

Countries
Chad
Sources
ECHO
Publication date
Origin
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  • The number of children under five suffering from severe malnutrition (SAM) continues to increase in Chad. In total this year (January-June), 151,022 children with SAM have been admitted for treatment, a 23% increase on the same period in 2018 (122,157 admissions) and a 45.5% increase on the same period in 2017 (103,743).
  • Acute malnutrition has reached alarming proportions in N’Djamena especially. Between January to June 2019, health centres with an integrated nutrition programme admitted 41,750 children under 5 with SAM, which represents a 150% increase compared to the same period in 2018 (16,655 admissions).
  • This is due to the cumulative effect of a decline in people’s purchasing power and seasonal food insecurity. To increase access to treatment, Medecins Sans Frontieres recently opened one inpatient therapeutic feeding centre in N’Djamena, in addition to the support to early treatment in outpatient facilities.