5 Jan 2013

LAOS / RICE

Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population, and nowhere is it more central to diet and culture than in South East Asia. But while rice is a rich source of energy, an overreliance on it can cause dangerous malnutrition in children. UNICEF

Posted at: January 5, 2013 12:02 am

Duration: 06:38

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STORY: LAOS / NUTRITION
TRT: 6.38
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: LAO / NATS

DATELINE: 15-22 SEPTEMBER 2012, PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF LAO

SHOTLIST:
 
1.	Wide shot, harvesting rice
2.	Med shot, tying rice bundles
3.	Wide shot, tying rice bundles
4.	Wide shot, cutting rice
5.	Wide shot, tying rice bundles
6.	Close up, tying rice
7.	Med shot, putting bundles on to pole
8.	Wide shot, spreading out grains
9.	Close up, checking grains
10.	Med shot, sifting rice
11.	Close up, rice
12.	Med shot, mother sifting rice
13.	Wide shot, family eating
14.	Close up, little boy eating rice
15.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"Parents aren't feeding their children properly because they don't know about nutrition, and when the children get sick, they don't know why. That's why it's important to screen every child in rural villages for malnutrition."
16.	Tilt up, mother crossing river
17.	Wide shot, man smoking at window
18.	Wide shot, man and woman at house
19.	Med shot, women smoking
20.	Close up, woman smoking
21.	Med shot, measuring child
22.	Wide shot, writing down measurements
23.	Close up, writing down measurements
24.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"Today the team have come to do malnutrition screening of children under-five in Bantongyao, which is part of the catchment area of the Tongwai health centre. Today we found nine children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition and two from severe acute malnutrition."
25.	Close up, measuring child's arm
26.	Med shot, measuring child's arm
27.	Close up, measuring child's arm
28.	Med shot, measuring child's arm
29.	Close up, measuring child's arm
30.	Med shot, measuring child's arm
31.	Close up, measuring child's arm
32.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"When we find cases of severe acute malnutrition, we provide two weeks' worth of ready to use therapeutic food which we receive from UNICEF. After two weeks we do a follow up with the patient to see whether or not the weight has improved."
33.	Med shot, feeding sick child
34.	Med shot, handing over therapeutic food
35.	Wide shot, leaving clinic
36.	Tilt up, carrying food home
37.	Wide shot, walking into house
38.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Eaya, Aunt:
"The doctor advised me about my nephew's health, he told me that he's malnourished and that he needs to be treated and checked again in two weeks' time. He told me that if he continues to be malnourished, it will affect his health."
39.	Wide shot, mosquito net to child and aunt
40.	Wide shot, women walking to health centre
41.	Wide shot, women and children
42.	Med shot, nurse explaining box of micronutrient powder
43.	Wide shot, women and children walking home
44.	Close up, adding micronutrient powder to food
45.	Close up, mother
46.	Med shot, feeding baby
47.	Wide shot, woman teaching mothers
48.	Med shot, woman teaching mothers
49.	Med shot, woman teaching mothers
50.	Med shot, mothers listening
51.	Med shot, people listening
52.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Vone, Head of Navienhong Village Branch of the Laos Women's Union: 
"Many women and children suffered from malnutrition, even though there was lots of food in the village, because mothers didn't know how best to feed themselves and their children. They didn't know which foods were good for them. I went to the district headquarters for training and now I give the women here health education. I teach them about nutrition and hygiene practices. Since I started this, I've noticed that there is less sickness in the village and that children are much healthier and better nourished."
53.	Med shot, children looking at brochure
54.	Med shot, audience
55.	Med shot, woman with child
56.	Med shot, woman teaching mothers
57.	Wide shot, aunt feeding nephew
58.	Close up, nephew eating
59.	SOUNDBITE (Lao) Eaya, Aunt:
"From now on in addition to the paste, I will add meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables to his food to make it rich and to make him healthy."
60.	Med shot, shot woman pounding rice
61.	Close up, rice being pounded
62.	Close up, sifting rice
63.	Wide shot, girl and mother eating
64.	Close up, girl eating
65.	Med shot, girl sifting rice

STORYLINE:

Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population but nowhere is it more central to diet and culture than in South East Asia.

The People's Democratic Republic of Lao has one of the highest consumptions of rice per capita in the world. In rural areas, rice provides 80 percent of calories and even the word 'eat' translates directly as 'eat rice'.

But while it is a rich source of energy, rice doesn't contain all of the nutrients for adequate nutrition. An overreliance on rice has left children here amongst the most undernourished in the region.

Thirty-one percent of children under five in Laos are underweight and 48 percent are stunted. Many mothers aren't even aware of the problem.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"Parents aren't feeding their children properly because they don't know about nutrition, and when the children get sick, they don't know why. That's why it's important to screen every child in rural villages for malnutrition."

Sing and his team are among over 200 health workers across the three provinces most heavily affected by malnutrition who identify and treat severely malnourished children.

Based in health centres, they also provide outreach to distant villages where they work closely with community volunteers who use mid upper arm circumference tape to diagnose malnutrition early.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"Today the team have come to do malnutrition screening of children under-five in Bantongyao, which is part of the catchment area of the Tongwai health centre. Today we found nine children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition and two from severe acute malnutrition."

This programme is possible because of a partnership between UNICEF, the European Union and the Government of Laos. It aims to educate communities about the causes of malnutrition and treat those who are suffering from it.

Children like 11 month-old Mord, who's been brought here by his aunt and is suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Sing Sanyalad, Deputy Head of Tongwai Health Centre:
"When we find cases of severe acute malnutrition, we provide two weeks' worth of ready to use therapeutic food which we receive from UNICEF. After two weeks we do a follow up with the patient to see whether or not the weight has improved."

Mord's story is typical of many children under-five in Laos.

After being breastfed as an infant, he was moved onto rice and now it's all he eats. His mother is a migrant worker on distant coffee plantations and it's his aunt who now cares for him. She's given ready-to-use therapeutic food and told how to feed him.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Eaya, Aunt:
"The doctor advised me about my nephew's health, he told me that he's malnourished and that he needs to be treated and checked again in two weeks' time. He told me that if he continues to be malnourished, it will affect his health."

Malnutrition affects both the physical and cognitive development of children and more than a third of child deaths globally are linked to it.

Children under-two are also given micronutrient powder to be added to meals. Each sachet contains the recommended daily allowance of 15 vitamins and minerals and reduces anaemia and iron deficiency.

But long term, the solution is education. Members of The Laos Women's Union have been trained by UNICEF partner 'Health Poverty Action' to teach pregnant women and mothers about proper nutrition and hygiene. Each month brings new lessons and new advice.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Vone, Head of Navienhong Village Branch of the Laos Women's Union:
"Many women and children suffered from malnutrition, even though there was lots of food in the village, because mothers didn't know how best to feed themselves and their children. They didn't know which foods were good for them. I went to the district headquarters for training and now I give the women here health education. I teach them about nutrition and hygiene practices. Since I started this, I've noticed that there is less sickness in the village and that children are much healthier and better nourished."

Back in Bantongyao, Eaya now knows what to do to ensure that her nephew has a healthy, balanced diet.

SOUNDBITE (Lao) Eaya, Aunt:
"From now on in addition to the paste, I will add meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables to his food to make it rich and to make him healthy."

It's this growing awareness of nutrition that the EU, the government of Laos and UNICEF hope will change eating and feeding habits throughout the country, and eventually end malnutrition.