15 July 2022

Good results for UNICEF nutrition programme

In the Central African Republic, 214,000 children under the age of 5 are at risk of acute malnutrition. UNICEF is focusing on the treatment of these malnourished children through the nutrition programme ‘A forgotten crisis’. In 2022, Van den Bosch committed itself for two years to this initiative. Partly thanks to this support, various results have already been achieved by mid-2022.

The humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) deteriorated during the crisis of the 2021 election period. The violence that erupted in the aftermath of the elections has had a devastating effect on the civilian population. As a result, 1.9 million people are in acute need, and more than half of the population is in need of humanitarian aid and protection. UNICEF is contributing to this by focusing on the treatment of malnourished children, educating parents, and providing vitamin A supplements.

Objectives and results

Thanks to the support of donors such as Van den Bosch, UNICEF can train health workers in screening children for malnutrition and providing information on good nutrition and health. They have been able to achieve the following results since the beginning of 2022:

• 15 health professionals have been trained in the areas of screening, referral, malnutrition follow-up and the promotion of the IYCF guidelines. 'Infant and Young Child Feeding' focuses on what, when and how young children are fed during the first two years of life.
• More than 16,000 healthcare providers were given advice on IYCF.
• 12 health professionals have been trained in the treatment of malnutrition and the promotion of good nutrition and healthy living.
• Almost 9,000 children with severely acute malnourishment were admitted for treatment.
• More than 6,500 children with moderately acute malnourishment were admitted for treatment.