31-year-old Saira took her starving child to the center. Her baby is seven months old and doctors have told her that her baby is malnourished. Saira says that due to poverty, it is second time her baby has malnutrition.
“She is 7 months. This is the second time I registered her here. When she is in hospital, she recovers better, nonetheless when I take her home, she becomes bad.”
Other people’s children suffering from malnutrition mention their families’ weak economy as main reason.
These people say that we cannot provide proper food for children. Shah Gula and Gul Pari are two other women who say their children are malnourished.
Shah Gula says: “I came to provincial hospital. I am helped in provincial hospital. while mother’s milk is insufficient, children become half-starved and they will not be recovered without medication. When we take our child to hospital, then recovers.”
Gul Pari says: “My son was sick. He was suffering from fever, so I took him here for treatment. His body was swollen. When have severe sickness then take him here.”
Director of Uruzgan Public Health, Dr. Muhammadullah Rouhani, says that malnourished children number in Uruzgan is high.
“The collected statistic of 2022 shows approximately 22,000 malnourished mothers, considering population of Uruzgan, this number is high, which has various reasons such as; lack of public awareness and economic problems.”
Meanwhile, Afghan Health Development Organization in charge in Uruzgan, Dr. Mohammad Ismail Stanakzai, told Killid that 1,700 undernourished children were registered last month.
“Last month, we registered and started treatment for 1,756 malnourished children, and 2,995 other people were registered and 20,602 women are suffering from moderate malnutrition and we provided them resources.”
Dr. Abdul Warith, in charge of children’s department at Tarinkot Provincial Hospital, wants mothers providing healthy and suitable food to children for saving them from malnutrition.
“Usually, malnutrition in Uruzgan is more. My recommendation to mothers is to breastfeed their babies. Although, there is poverty, there are still normal foods that can save children from malnutrition. It is not required that children must be fed meat.”
Tarinkot Provincial Hospital officials believe, 20-25 children with severe malnutrition are taken here every day.
Translated by Muhammad Yousuf “Zakir”
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