We have taught mothers to screen their children
Coronavirus which causes the Covid-19 disease was the dawn of the new way of living worldwide.
Malawi was not spared as the country registered its first cases of Covid-19 from April 2019 and the cases started rising. Preventative measure to control the spread and reduce the risk of contracting the virus were enforced and awareness campaigns have been conducted.
In response to the calls to join hands in fighting Covid-19 organisations implementing developmental projects derived measures on how to reduce the spread of the virus.
DAPP Malawi, working in the areas of agriculture, health, education and community development introduced measures to help in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
Apart from the hygiene measures which included washing hands with soap, use of face masks and observing social distances, in its Nutrition screening for 0 to 2 years old children, parents were trained on how they can screen their children for malnutrition thus to reduce human contact.
“As a project we distributed the screening tools, MUAC (Mid upper arm circumference) tapes so that parents can be able to screen their children and record the progress in the growth of their children and especially their nutrition status,” said Shyreen Malunga the Project Coordinator.
One of the Care group members Mrs Christina Sukali said as mothers involved in the project they are able to track the nutrition status of their children as they are now able to screen their children in their homes. Apart from the screening they said they are also encouraging the women with children who are malnourished to provide their children with foods that include all the six food groups and to establish backyard gardens, she explained.
In villages around Mkwepele Health centre in Tradtional Authority Nyambi, Machinga district, there were over 90 children that has been identified as malnourished since the project commenced in January 2020.
To date, over 150 childern identified as malnourished have recovered according to the Senior Health Surveillance Assistant at the hospital Mr Robson Muveriwa.
The project is running for a year and it is being sponsored by the Valdese Church through Humana People to People Italia.
