Above: Measuring MUAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumference) to determine level of malnutrition
The childhood stunting rate is over 30% in Sierra Leone. Many children die of illness worsened by malnutrition. RHCI’s newest program, Positive Deviance Hearth has successfully been used in many low-resource countries over the past 30 years. The program engages communities and caregivers to use local resources to improve childhood nutrition. The program includes:
- Immediate child rehabilitation from trained staff through community screening; weighing, vaccination surveys, deworming, and providing essential vitamins.
- Education for families to sustain rehabilitation independently through training sessions on food preparation, proper hand washing techniques, and environmental cleanliness.
This program is set to prevent future childhood malnutrition by partnering with the Nutrition Unit at the Bo District Medical Office under direction of Mary Koroma. RHCI is providing the funding to implement the program in the villages of Dodo and Julian.
With your support, our aim is to bring the malnutrition program to more surrounding villages in the Tikonko Chiefdom, to reduce childhood malnutrition and save lives.
For more information on Positive Deviance Hearth program for Childhood Malnutrition, go to:
https://www.wvi.org/nutrition/project-models/positive-deviancehearth
