The governor of the Eastern region, Ram Joseph Kafando, chaired, on August 7, 2024 in Fada N’Gourma, the first session of the year 2024 of the Council workshop regional nutrition consultation (CRN).
The rapid SMART surveys carried out in 2023 in the Eastern region determined the prevalence of acute malnutrition (MAG) of 13.1% for the commune of Fada N’Gourma, 21.2% for the commune of Diapaga, 17 , 3% for the municipality of Matiacoali and 15.4% for that of Gayéri.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) GAM threshold is 10%.
These results obtained call into question in more than one way the efforts that still need to be made to significantly reduce the prevalence of malnutrition.
Hence the holding of this workshop on August 7, 2024 in Fada N’Gourma, of the Regional Nutrition Consultation Council (CRN), whose theme is ‘Food and nutritional situation in a context of security and humanitarian challenges’.
According to the regional director in charge of Eastern Health, Dr Mahamady Yarbanga, these GAM
prevalence rates noted by the latest rapid SMART surveys in his locality are critical.
Therefore, he believes that it is urgent that the members of the CRN look into this thorny issue for the happiness of the population in general but especially for children aged 0 to 5 and breastfeeding women.
Regarding the causes of the exponential rise in MAG, the regional director mentioned above all the blatant insecurity in the locality which does not facilitate access to population health centers for rapid screening and better care.
This workshop offers health workers, NGOs and associations as well as all partners working in the field of nutrition the opportunity to review the various achievements but also the difficulties that could hinder the fight against malnutrition.
The governor of the region, Ram Joseph Kafando, invited the various actors to work in synergy of action to resolve the nutrition problems of the populations of his administrative entity and more specifically for issues related to the fight against
malnutrition which is a quick-win intervention to achieve sustainable development goals.
Source : Burkina Information Agency