Exploratory mission led by Doctors Without Borders to respond to the on-going nutritional crisis in Madagascar. In Fokontane (villages) Andrambaly I et Andrambaly II, in the municipality of Maheny, Beloha's distict, Androy's region, the teams set up a mobile clinic for children under five. They carry out nutritional screening and distribute Plumpy'nut (therapeutic food) rations for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. © Erwan Rogard
Food distributions
We’re seeing malnourished children struggling to regain weight after weeks of treatment in our mobile clinics. The medical care we provide and the half-rations different organisations have been distributing are not enough to reverse the trend in a setting where there is so little access to food. A massive increase in emergency food assistance is an absolute priority.Bérengère Guais, emergency programmes
As well as providing treatment for malnutrition and its medical complications, in June Doctors Without Borders began distributing food rations to the families of malnourished patients to help restore their access to food. One ration contains approximately 66 kilos of rice, beans, oil and salt, which is enough to cover a family’s needs for one month. Our teams have already distributed 1,588 rations (around 104 tons of food), and this will be renewed for the next few months.
Our teams have treated 4,339 people suffering from moderate or severe acute malnutrition since they began providing medical assistance at the end of March. © Erwan Rogard
Mobile clinics
Mobile clinics delivering screening and treatment for acute malnutrition are set up in more than 15 sites in Anôsy and Androy regions (14 in Amboasary district and 3 in Ambovombe district). Our teams have treated 4,339 people suffering from moderate or severe acute malnutrition since they began providing medical assistance at the end of March.
The condition of malnourished children is exacerbated by a number of associated diseases, principally malaria, which affects 22% of our young patients, respiratory infections (18%) and diarrhoeas (14%).
In the southwest of the island, other needs assessments and malnutrition-screening initiatives are being conducted and will be extended to Androy and Atsimo-Andrefana regions within the next few days.
The condition of malnourished children is exacerbated by a number of associated diseases, principally malaria. © Erwan Rogard
Inpatient centre for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and associated complications opened in Ambovombe hospital
Working in partnership with the local authorities, six weeks ago our teams launched the construction of an inpatient therapeutic feeding centre in the hospital in Ambovombe to scale-up inpatient care for critically ill malnourished children. Starting off with 40 beds – an extension is already underway to double this number –, the centre is now open to patients.
On 21 June 2021, the first three patients accompanied by their mothers were admitted and, by the end of the first week after opening, 28 children had already received treatment.
© Erwan Rogard
Improving access to water
A third of the malnourished children we treat in our mobile clinics in Amboasary district also suffer from either diarrhoea or parasitosis, which points to a lack of provision of clean water.
Since March, Doctors Without Borders has distributed 190 cubic metres of water, 2,872 jerry cans and 3,870 bars of soap. Our teams have repaired 11 hand pumps in existing installations and 7 more will be back in service soon. Work on constructing 9 hand pump wells has begun and should be completed in July and August. We are also looking into installing boreholes in 24 locations.
