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ABIDJAN, Côte dIvoire, 1 April 2010 Since her ninth child was born, Silué Kewa Tchewas breasts have not produced a drop of milk. As a result, her six-week-old, Fatoumata, is underweight.
But the baby recently gained nearly 200 grams in just a few days when she was brought to a UNICEF supported Red Cross therapeutic nutritional centre.
When the child is malnourished, its growth is slowed down. The parents dont like this and blame evil spirits, said Red Cross nutritional centre manager Salimata Coulibaly. Some abandon their child. Our first task is to explain why the child is sick, the causes, and how they can get better.
In this rural area, cotton was once the main crop. The economic crisis combined with a political crisis in Côte dIvoire has weakened many families. Farmers are forced to sell all their vegetables to make ends meet, without keeping part of their crop for their own consumption.
In the villages, the incidence of malnutrition is very high. UNICEF works with the public authorities and NGOs to reach out to these communities and improve their understanding of nutrition issues. Community health workers conduct local follow-up outreach visits.
