CHAD / MALNUTRITION

UNICEF supports therapeutic feeding centres to address rising malnutrition amongst children in western Chad. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:14
• Production Date: 24 March 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS; AGRICULTURAL POLICY; RURAL SOCIOLOGY; NUTRITION; MEDICINE; HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: CHAD
• MAMS Id: U100324e

Description

STORY: CHAD / MALNUTRITION
TRT: 02.14
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / KANEMBOU / GOURANE / NATS

DATELINE: 1-3 MARCH 2010, MAO, CHAD 1-13 March 2010

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, two people on camels on desert outskirts of Mao
2. Wide shot, two children in the sandy desert outside Mao
3. Close-up, skull of a dead donkey
4. Med shot, skeleton of the donkey
5. Wide shot, merchant selling maize in the Mao market
6. Close-up, merchant scoops maize with his hand into a bowl
7. Wide shot, Adam Abdoulai being fed therapeutic milk by his grandmother
8. Various shots, Adam Abdoulai being fed therapeutic milk by his grandmother
9. Close-up, Adam Abdoulai smiling
10. SOUNDBITE (Kanembou) Hawa Abdoulai, Adam’s grandmother:
“For the last 10 years all of our hard work in our fields has produced nothing because there has been little rain, so we have to buy maize from the market.”
16. Wide shot, mothers and babies in the therapeutic feeding centre in Mao
11. Med shot, grandmother and baby drinking milk
12. Close-up, baby drinking and finishing his milk at the feeding centre in Mao
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Dr. Mekonyo Kolmain Gedeon, Head of Health Services, Mao District:
“The severely malnourished children with secondary infections are referred to this centre. Those that don’t respond to treatment are also referred to this centre. If this centre did not exist the situation would be catastrophic for the district health of Mao.”
14. Various shots, baby’s arm measured at the feeding clinic at Barrah.
15. Wide shot, women and babies waiting at the feeding clinic at Barrah.
16. Various shots, Women sitting with their babies at the feeding centre
17. Close-up, Zara Hassan’s two year old child in the feeding clinic at Barrah.
18. Med shot, nurse getting the plumpy nut for Zara Hassan
19. Close-up, packets of plumpy nut in the feeding clinic at Barrah.
20. Med shot, Zara Hassan’s baby being weighed in the feeding clinic at Barrah.
21. SOUNDBITE (Gourane) Zara Hassan, Mother:
“Nothing grows here. The sand has taken over and there is nothing left. The soil has gone and the land is now covered with sand. Nothing grows here. The ground is now bad.”
22. Tilt down, palm trees to lettuce growing in small plots
23. Tilt up, irrigation channel to people working in fields
24. Wide shot, people digging in fields

Storyline

Changing weather patterns in Chad’s western Kanem region have led to severe droughts crippling local agricultural and causing chronic food shortages.

The 2009 harvest was a disaster yielding only enough grain to feed the region for two weeks.

Severe food shortages combined with unbalanced diets and poor child care practices have led to soaring malnutrition rates in Kanem.

Adam Abdulai, just over a year old, was in a critical condition when he was brought to this UNICEF supported therapeutic feeding centre in the district of Mao. Here he’s receiving emergency care and is fed milk every 3 hours while being closely watched by health workers.

His mother spoke of eating just porridge made from millet everyday during her pregnancy, leaving her weak after the birth and unable to care for her son properly.

SOUNDBITE (Kanembou) Hawa Abdulai, Adam’s Grandmother:
“For the last 10 years all of our hard work in our fields has produced nothing because there has been little rain, so we have to buy maize from the market.”

There are more than a dozen children admitted at this centre where emergency therapeutic feeding takes place every day.

SOUNDBITE (French) Dr. Mekonyo Kolmain Gedeon, Head of Health Services for Mao district:
“The severely malnourished children with secondary infections are referred to this centre. Those that don’t respond to treatment are also referred to this centre. If this centre did not exist the situation would be catastrophic for the district health of Mao.”
Over 8000 children have been treated at these centres since 2009, but the needs are still huge.

In the village of Barrah, 20 kilometres from Mao, a UNICEF supported clinic provides monitoring and treatment for severely malnourished children.

There’s been a 70 percent increase in the number of children brought into centre like this in the northwestern region.

Zara Hassan’s comes here every week with her malnourished 2 year old to receive supplies of plumpy nut, a high protein, high energy peanut paste fortified with vitamins and minerals. The child is 3 kilos under weight and showing signs of improvement.

SOUNDBITE: (Gourane) Zara Hassan, Mother:
“Nothing grows here. The sand has taken over and there is nothing left. The soil has gone and the land is now covered with sand. Nothing grows here. The ground is now bad.”

The only patch of land left for farming is the local oasis. With virtually no local produce on the market, most food items are transported into Mao from other parts of the country leading to huge price increases – leaving thousands unable to feed their families and dependant on food aid.