16 Jul 2010

MADAGASCAR / MALNUTRITION

More than 11,000 children under the age of five have been treated for severe acute malnutrition in southern Madagascar in 2009. In 2010, as the lack of rain continues, children are still at risk. UNICEF

Posted at: July 16, 2010 4:33 pm

Duration: 02:08

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: MADAGASCAR / MALNUTRITION
TRT: 2.08
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / MALAGASY / NATS
 
DATELINE: 26-28 MARCH 2010, AMPANIHY, MADAGASCAR

SHOTLIST:
 
1. Various shots, villagers gathering as community agent arrives
2. Close-up, young girl
3. Close-up, Young girl Tsiavily
4. Close-up, little boy (son of Tsiavily)
5. Wide shot, Tsiavily and her children
6. SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Tsiavily:
"We can't harvest anything. On Market days, we buy manioc and corn. We are hungry. I'm here to screen my son. We only eat one cup of corn per day. Besides, I can't breastfeed my son because I'm pregnant."
7. Wide shot, village
8. Med shot, little girl with piece of wood
9. Med shot, little girl eating Plumpy'nut
10. Tilt up, a doctor weighing a child
11.  Various shots, mothers and babies in hospital
12. SOUNBITE (Malagasy) Masindrena, Ellya's mother:
"We are afraid, because if we cannot find food for our children they are facing death."
13. Various shots, villagers
14. SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Armand Laha, Fokontany Chief:
"People that have a bit of savings buy small quantities at the market, those that have no money eat only "raketa" cactus fruit. Look at our field, because there has been no rain, the field is in a bad state."
15. Various shots, drought stricken landscape
16. Various shots, UNICEF team examining malnourished children

STORYLINE:

Women and children are gathered in the shadow of a big tree as two community agents screen children between 6 and 59 months for acute severe malnutrition in the village of Beadala Bas, in Ampanihy district of southern Madagascar.

SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Tsiavily, Mother:
"We can't harvest anything. On Market days, we buy manioc and corn. We are hungry. I'm here to screen my son. We only eat one cup of corn per day. Besides, I can't breastfeed my son because I'm pregnant."

If children are identified at an early stage of severe malnutrition they can be treated in their homes with Plumpy'nut ready-to-use therapeutic food with regular check-ups at the closest health centre.

Malnourished children with medical complications are referred to hospitals. Ellya is 10 months old and weighs only 4.5 kilos. She was admitted for severe malnutrition and later diagnosed with tuberculosis. Women in this region marry early at 14 or 15 years old. Her mother Masindrena had her first child at 15 and Ellya is the youngest of seven.

SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Masindrena, Ellya's mother:
"We are afraid, because if we cannot find food for our children they are facing death."

Seven districts in three regions of Madagascar have been severely affected by a nutrition crisis since early 2009. This is mainly due to lack of rain and consequently very limited harvest, limited access to clean water and weak health structures situated up to 50 kilometers from scattered villages.

Local village administrators such as Armand Laha, head of the village Bevoalavo, are overwhelmed by the situation.

SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Armand Laha, Fokontany Chief:
"People that have a bit of savings buy small quantities at the market, those that have no money eat only "raketa" cactus fruit. Look at our field, because there has been no rain, the field is in a bad state."

The field is empty and only a few plants have been growing. If there is more rain, in the best case scenario, the village will have a harvest in three months.

UNICEF is working together with health staff, community agents and other partners to provide treatment in health centers and hospitals and to train both health workers and community agents to prevent, detect and treat malnutrition.