By: Adeel Alvi
SHIKARPUR: During the screening visit of village Sukhio Panhwar, UC Garhi Dakho, tehsil of Khanpur of District Shikarpur, I came to know that a 10-month-old boy namely Sadam S/O Nidaam has become a victim of malnourishment while his Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) level was at 7.5 and his weight was 4.2 Kg, I urged upon the parents and immediately moved the boy to Rahimabad Rural Health Center on 13-12-2020.
At the RHC the parents, after conducting necessary tests, were advised to start giving Ready to use Therapeutic Food [RUTF], a full of energy-dense, macronutrient enhanced pastes used in therapeutic feeding. The condition of Sadam is increasing day by day and his weight was 6.0 on 23.02.2021 and his MUAC level has increased at the level 10.9 while RUTF would be continued at the level of 11.5 and then, Micronutrient Powder (MNP), nutritional supplements developed to address micronutrient deficiencies in children of age between 6-23 months would be started, said Ms. Mooran, a community health worker of the area.
Ms. Mooran said if I would not go to the village for screening God forbid the malnutrition victim boy would not survive and said whole credit goes to Program for Improved Nutrition in Sindh working in Sindh with close collaboration with Accelerated Action Plan, Action Against Hunger & SRSO funded by European Union [EU], with the full support of the Sindh government, it started in June 2019 in Shikarpur mainly focusing to improve the nutritional status of under-five children and Pregnant and Lactating Women by addressing malnutrition through the provision of effective nutritional services at the community and facility level that meet nationally and internationally recommended minimum standards of care for the population.
The people of the area termed the PINS Program a great sign to spread awareness concerning malnutrition, stunting, wasting and underweight children.
The program is ongoing in eight districts of Sindh including Shikarpur, Thatta, Sujawal, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Larkana, and Oambar Shahdad Kot, intended to provide 100 percent availability of treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition [SAM] & MAM children, with and without complications.