Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

CONGO: Malnutrition rates "at 15.4%"
03 Jun 2009 12:38:24 GMT
 Source: IRIN

Background

•  Congo (DR) conflict

•  Food and hunger

•  African hunger

•  Children

MORE >>
NAIROBI, 3 June 2009 (IRIN) - Nutritional surveillance should be reinforced and therapeutic and supplementary feeding units extended to reduce high malnutrition levels in the Republic of Congo, according to a survey conducted by the government and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The nutrition and health survey, which sampled 2,734 children from birth to 59 months, found 15.4 percent to be chronically malnourished or suffer retarded growth. At least 9.5 percent were malnourished and 10.4 percent suffered low weight.

The high levels were attributed to few children being exclusively breastfed - only 15-26 percent - and low consumption of vitamin A-rich foods, as well as a lack of dietary diversity.

Survey results showed boys to be more affected than girls at 17.9 percent versus 12.8 percent, with malnutrition levels peaking in the nought to five-month age group in urban zones, and among six- to 17-month-olds in rural areas.

Mothers' health habits were also surveyed, with 2,173 sampled. Between 20 and 29 percent of new mothers were not examined after delivery, 44-53 percent were not provided with Vitamin A supplementation, and up to half did not seek care for infant fever and coughs, stated the survey, adding that there was limited anti-malaria control and use of oral rehydration salts to treat infant diarrhoea.

At least 72 to 78 percent of new mothers did not breastfeed their children within one hour of delivery and a lack of access to maternal health services, especially in the rural areas, is also to blame.

The survey was conducted among households in the urban districts of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire and the rural areas of Bouenza, Likouala, Plateaux and Pool.

aw/mw

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Children

•  Food and hunger

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  African hunger

•  Congo (DR) conflict

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Caritas launches major appeal for Pakistan as millions flee conflict
Caritas Internationalis

•  ACT Appeal: Eastern DRC Conflict and Displacement, REVISION 2
ACT - Switzerland

•  From Pakistan: A displaced girl talks about her home and the future
CWS

•  Restoring dignity to Zimbabwe
Oxfam GB - UK

•  Tsunami-Affected Schoolchildren Benefit from New Classrooms
ADRA - International

MORE >>

Latest news

•  CONGO: Malnutrition rates "at 15.4%"

•  Philippines asks aid agencies to limit food rations

•  INDONESIA: Trafficking fuels commercial sex work

•  Pakistani parents say kidnapped children missing

•  PAKISTAN: Separated IDP families - the agony of not knowing

MORE >>

IRIN news

Background information

Briefings
African hunger - [Who works where]
Congo (DR) conflict - [Who works where]

Topics
Children Food and hunger
Facts & figures
Congo (Brazzaville)

Related articles

Breaking stories
 CONGO: Malnutrition rates "at 15.4%" (1 minute ago)

Philippines asks aid agencies to limit food rations (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Rich must keep promise to help poor adapt to climate change - commission (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Caritas launches major appeal for Pakistan as millions flee conflict (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Children wait for playtime in Pakistan (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP:Weather hazards impacts assessment for Africa (May 7 - 13, 2009) (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-03T105831Z_01_JER07_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL-UN-GAZA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER07.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-03T075558Z_01_DHA008_RTRIDSP_2_BANGLADESH-CYCLONE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DHA008.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-02T200452Z_01_DEL52_RTRIDSP_2_CYCLONE-INDIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL52.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-02T200313Z_01_DEL53_RTRIDSP_2_CYCLONE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL53.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-02T195617Z_01_DEL40_RTRIDSP_2_CYCLONE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL40.htm

Palestinian children (L) look at UN investigator South African jurist Richard Goldstone (C) as he leaves after a visit to the damaged house of the al-Samoni family in Gaza City June ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Wed Jun 3 12:38:51 2009