ACCELERATING CHILD SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT 2009

Uganda’s Battle Against the Top Childhood Threats

© UNICEF Uganda/Roger Le Moyne

PREVENTING AND
TREATING MALNUTRITION
SITUATION SUMMARY
Malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies are wide-
spread in Uganda, despite the fact that it is a country
with abundant food supplies and arable land. Good
nutrition is not just about food however, it is about get-
ting the right types of food, having access to safe water
and sanitation, and about putting good health and hy-
giene knowledge into practice.
According to UDHS 2006, some 12 % of Ugandan chil-
dren are severely stunted, reflecting a lack of adequate
nutrition over an extended period, or chronic illness.
Some 16% of children are underweight, which means
that they have been affected by both chronic and acute
under-nutrition. Most concerning, 6% of children are
considered to be wasted, having experienced a rapid
deterioration of food supplies.
Employing correct Infant and Young Child Feeding
Practices (ICYF) can prevent malnutrition. ICYF consid-
ers the timely initiation of feeding solid/semi-solid foods,
the diversity of food and the frequency of feeding. Ac-
cording to the UDHS 2006, less than one quarter (24%)
of Ugandan children age 6-23 months were fed with the
minimum standard of all three ICYF practices. Only 8%
of children of IDPs and children in the Karamoja sub-
region were fed according to minimum standards.
In addition to body-hunger, “brain-hunger” is wide-
spread, with detrimental effects to the health and devel-
opmental capacity of individual children and society as
a whole. Almost three quarters of Ugandan children
under-five are anaemic, with 7% being severely anae-
mic. Anaemia can impair cognitive performance, behav-
ioural and motor-skills development. Meanwhile, ap-
proximately 20% of children in Uganda have some form
of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) which can seriously im-
pair their immune system and vision.
THE REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
In northern Uganda, despite an overall improvement in
the nutrition situation over the last 3 years, there is still
a need for monitoring in the Acholi region, with a spe-
cial focus on areas of return. With the exception of Kit-
WFP/UNICEF: Nutrition Assessm ents
by Sub-Region
Global Acute Malnutrition
Some 12% of Ugandan children are severely stunted; 16% are
underweight and 6% are considered wasted.
gum, Pader and Gulu, prevalence of SAM in remaining
districts is less than 1%. In north-western Uganda, per-
vasive insecurity combined with a variety of social and
environmental shocks to pastoralist livelihoods culmi-
nated into an acute child survival and nutrition crisis in
2008. With the arrival of rains and emergency interven-
tions however, acute malnutrition dropped below emer-
gency levels in most districts.
NUTRITION INDICATIVE BUDGET FOR 2009
UNICEF works at the national level and in 23 focus
districts to ensure that all children realize their right to
survival and health development. In 2009 the nutrition
programme will ensure:
• At least 50% of children with severe acute malnutri-
tion are identified and treated (by building the capac-
ity of health workers to identify, refer and treat Se-
vere Acute Malnutrition at HC 3 and 4 levels, includ-
ing forecasting their supply needs for their pro-
grammes and providing partners with adequate sup-
ply, financial and technical assistance);
• At least 25% of households have the required knowl-
edge and skills to adopt IYCF practices to prevent
malnutrition (by building the capacity of health work-
ers at the HC 2 level and VHTs ).
• At least 80% of children aged 6 to 59 months receive
vitamin A supplementation twice a year and at least
80% of children aged 1 to 14 years are de-wormed
twice a year (through support to Child Health Days)
• A nutrition surveillance system is functional in all 9
counties in Karamoja and 2 districts in Acholi (by
support District Governments and Nutrition Partners

Moderate Malnutrition Severe Malnutrition with financial and technical assistance).

10
1.5 Budgetary Requirements: 2,375,000 USD
8 1.8
1.6 National level USD 1,200,000
6
District level USD 2,175,000
4 6.7 8
5.9
2 FOR MORE INFORMATION
0
Dr. Claudia Hudspeth Karen Allen
Teso (WHO) Jul Acholi (NCHS) Karamoja Chief, Child Survival Deputy Representative
08 Jun 08 (NCHS) Aug 08 chudspeth@unicef.org kallen@unicef.org