30 Aug 2012

CHAD / SURVEY

The global acute malnutrition rate for children under 5 in nine of the Sahel regions ofChadis above the World Health Organization's emergency threshold of 15 per cent, according to a new survey. UNICEF

Posted at: August 30, 2012 4:24 pm

Duration: 03:04

Available in: SD

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STORY: CHAD / SURVEY
TRT: 3.04
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 14, 18 MAY 2012, ABECHE, CHAD

SHOTLIST:

1. Tilt down, exterior of building
2. Pan left, people outside of health facility
3. Wide shot, women and children sitting in open area
4. Med shot, woman preparing a child to be vaccinated
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Fatime Maurice, Director Immunization, Biltine Hospital: 
"I came to work one day it was a normal day and I went home for the afternoon. During the time I was home one of the refrigerators burnt and went up in flames and burnt the whole centre and this is why we are here at this tent doing the vaccinations. I ask for support to rehabilitate the centre."
6. Med shot, women with their children
7. Pan right, Plumpy Nut on table to children and women
8. Med shot, doctor talking to mother and child
9. Close up, crying child
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Temoua Djingwe, Smart Survey Team Leader:
"This survey it covers children from 0 to 59 months to see what the conditions are in the area of nutrition. When you look at the young population, these children, the serious conditions that they have, shows you already how the population is. If children are in such a dire situation that means everyone else is."
11. Med shot, woman walking into makeshift health facility
12. Med shot, woman (possibly doctor or nurse) speaking with female patient sitting on bed
13. Tilt up, child being picked up by woman
14. Med shot, child being weighed in plastic tub in open area with other people
15. Med shot, infant being measured for height
16. Wide shot, infant being measured for height
17. Pan left, people sitting in open sandy area
18. Close up, infant's arm being measured for malnutrition
19. Close up, infant's arm measurement
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno Maes, UNICEF Chad Representative:
"We know that the situation will not change tomorrow and UNICEF is supporting government particularly the minister of health to try to increase local capacity in terms of health system services coverage and to try and improve the capacity, the mothers, the fathers and the health system to detect malnutrition at the early stages as malnutrition is really impacting heavily on the possibility for a child to survive and develop. The first two years of the life of a child are very important in terms of brain development  as soon as we can detect the malnutrition  and treat it we will avoid I would say the future impact of climate change, food insecurity, poor health system in Chad."
21. Wide shot, desert
22. Med shot, women and children riding donkeys
23. Wide shot, women and children riding donkeys

STORYLINE:
New research by UNICEF, the Ministry of Public Health and partners shows Global Acute Malnutrition rates for children under five in nine of the Chad's 11 Sahel provinces are above the World Health Organization's emergency threshold of 15 per cent.

A fire at the Biltine health centre in Chad's Wadi Fira region is something these people can ill afford.

This disaster has put more pressure on already underequipped staff and resources, as streams of women bring malnourished children for treatment.

SOUNDBITE (French) Fatime Maurice Director Immunization, Biltine Hospital: 
"I came to work one day it was a normal day and I went home for the afternoon. During the time I was home one of the refrigerators burnt and went up in flames and burnt the whole centre and this is why we are here at this tent doing the vaccinations. I ask for support to rehabilitate the centre."

Centres like this are filling up fast.

Here in Wadi Fira, this figure is one of the most critical, at just over 21 per cent.

SOUNDBITE (French) Temoua Djingwe, Smart Survey Team Leader:
"This survey it covers children from 0 to 59 months to see what the conditions are in the area of nutrition. When you look at the young population, these children, the serious conditions that they have, shows you already how the population is. If children are in such a dire situation that means everyone else is."

So far over 57 000 children in the Sahel belt region have been admitted to health centres between January to May. And UNICEF estimates that more than 127 000 children will be affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition this year.

But there is some light, albeit small.

Efforts to increase the number of feeding centres, is one reason for a slight drop in mortality levels among children, an improvement from last year.

It's evident though, in a country which experiences recurrent epidemics of polio,
Measles, meningitis as well as cholera – despite no cases recorded this year -that a longer term strategy to improve the overall health and wellbeing of children needs to be put in place.

SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno Maes, UNICEF Chad Representative:
"We know that the situation will not change tomorrow and UNICEF is supporting government particularly the minister of health to try to increase local capacity in terms of health system services coverage and to try and improve the capacity, the mothers, the fathers and the health system to detect malnutrition at the early stages as malnutrition is really impacting heavily on the possibility for a child to survive and develop. The first two years of the life of a child are very important in terms of brain development  as soon as we can detect the malnutrition  and treat it we will avoid I would say the future impact of climate change, food insecurity, poor health system in Chad."

But for now in the peak of the lean season, the focus is on making sure these children get the best care they can.

Filed under CHAD Sahel UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund.