The Under 5 Cards, used to monitor weight gain or loss in children have been out of stock for close to a year now in most government health facilities, a report on the Nutrition Budget performance for the First Quarter 2019 has revealed.
A check in most government health facilities in Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt, Luapula and Western Provinces by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance revealed that the cards were not available in the five provinces and mothers were using exercise books making growth monitoring in children next to impossible.
Presenting the report to the Expanded Committee on estimates chaired by Mbala Member of Parliament Mwalimu Simfukwe, Alliance National Cordinator Mathews Mhuru said the absence of the cards in health facilities is putting the lives of children at risk.
Mr. Mhuru told the Committee that this is a big problem that requires urgent attention from authorities as failure to address it poses more stress on the curative side of the health sector, as many avoidable illnesses would be unnoticed.
Mr. Mhuru also informed the Committee that ready to Use Therapeutic Foods have been out of stock for close to a year now with only a few donated by UNICEF available in selected health facilities.He said the situation is increasing the likelihood of deaths of children with severe and acute malnutrition.
Mr. Mhuru noted with concern that with the management of moderate and severe malnutrition budget line not included in the 2019 Yellow Book, trends are already beginning to show increasing difficulty in managing cases of severe acute malnutrition which have begun to increase.
He has since recommended the inclusion of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in the Essential Medicines List, immediate printing and countrywide distribution of Under 5 cards, consistent disbursement of grants to the National Food and Nutrition Commission and commitment of K400 per under-five child in order to prevent the damage malnutrition may have on future generations.
This is a disgrace! I’m sure election materials are readily available but basic road to health cards are not!
Please fire Chilufya.
Kabanshi was fired over nothing, and you can’t keep ministers who don’t like children.
I think there is a ministry for women and children too. What are they doing? Jail them for receiving salaries for nothing.
When they take the X-ray of your chest, no those large envelopes to carry the X-ray print in. You just go with it with your ribs showing all the way. Situation has been like that for over a year too. KKKKKKKKK
Just Dununa, you voted for comrade NO VISION CHAKOLWA.
These are the fruits of Zambian S2up1dity!!