Veronica Redson sits coiled on the steps leading to the children’s ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre, exhausted.
She arrived at the hospital a day before with her one year-old son, referred from Mulanje Mission Hospital after a diagnosis of malnutrition which triggered a myriad of illnesses, including asthma.
“I protested the referral because I didn’t have transport,” she recalls in an interview on Friday.
“Doctors told me his condition was delicate and that if I delayed, my child might not survive. Luckily, the doctors arranged and paid for her transport to Blantyre. I just hope my child survives,” she says.
Redson confessed that feeding him adequately has been a struggle being a smallholder farmer who does not generate enough money to sustain her family..
The distress in her gaze reflected the struggles of many parents as the recently released Unicef’s 2024 third quarter humanitarian situation report reveals a sharp rise in malnutrition leading to 674 deaths in six districts alone.
The districts are Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Nsanje, Balaka and Salima which were hit by El-Nino-induced dry spells and floods in the 2023/24 farming seasons.
Here, Unicef is running a programme to tackle malnutrition with emphasis on Under-five children.
From January to August, the report says, 33 728 cases of severe wasting— a life-threatening form of malnutrition— were identified and treated in these targeted areas.
The report adds that two percent of the cases died, translating to 674 children.
“Performance indicators have remained within the acceptable sphere standards with a cure rate of 92.5 percent, a death rate of 2 percent, a default rate of 3.3 per cent and a non-response rate of 2.5 percent,” Unicef says.
It also affirms that the rate of wasting has increased compared to last year in these districts.
“In September 2024, there was a 203 percent increase in children with moderate wasting compared to August 2023,” the report reads.
It further highlights that between January and August 2024, the districts saw a 43 percent increase in cases of severe wasting in children and an 82 percent rise in moderate wasting compared to 2023.
Unicef notes that 2023/24 farming season droughts tied to El-Niño have worsened the crisis, leaving many families food insecure.
“During the third quarter of 2024, 568 305 (272 786 males and 295 519 females) Under-five children were screened for wasting and nutrition oedema in six affected districts.
“This brings the total number of children screened since the beginning of the year to 1 866 593. The nutrition screening contributed to the admission of 10 937 children with severe wasting and nutrition oedema into the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition programme,” the report says.
Compounding this crisis is an enormous funding shortfall.
Out of the required $9.4 million (K16 billion) Unicef estimates to fight the malnutrition crisis, only $2.5 million (K4.2 billion) has been secured, leaving a 74 percent gap.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Associate Professor of Nutrition Alexander Kanyimbira described the situation as concerning.
Beyond fatalities, he warned that severe wasting could lead to a future generation marked by stunted growth and intellectual challenges.
“Similar to acute malnutrition, this situation weakens the immune system, leading to a higher incidence of illnesses. During the reporting period, the number of children seeking medical care has likely risen,” he explained.
Kanyimbira highlighted that malnutrition places a significant burden on the health sector due to the surge in child illnesses.
“Government will need to allocate more resources to treat these related illnesses. Without effective interventions, there is a substantial risk of increased child mortality,” he added.
He also noted that malnourishment among children indicates that other vulnerable populations, including the elderly and pregnant women, are also likely affected by malnutrition.
Malawi is party to the United Nations led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a call to action to, by 2030, end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy good health, justice and prosperity.
SGD number 2 seeks to end hunger with emphasis on tackling malnutrition.
It reads: “By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under five years of age.”
Reflecting on the Unicef report, the Civil Society Organisation Nutrition Alliance (Csona) national coordinator Joseph Gausi said the statistics do not inspire hope.
“If we reflect on these commitments and see how our nutrition outcomes are at the moment in 2024, we are very far from making these a reality in 2025,” he said.
He attributed the poor show to setbacks “orchestrated by climate change Covid and cyclones”.
“Our nutrition response to such disasters is not resilient. Our funding to nutrition continues to be underfunded comprising coordination and implementation of high impact nutrition interventions highlighted in our policy,” he said.
The Ministry of Health had not responded to our questionnaire on the nationwide malnutrition challenge as we went to press yesterday.
