By Mohamed T Massaquoi in Bo
The number of deaths due to malnutrition in the southern Pujehun District of Sierra Leone is rising at an “alarming rate”, a health campaign group has warned.
Health for All Coalition (H4AC) is concerned that malnutrition in the district remains a major concern as children are dying in “large numbers”.
Mohamed Kallon, District Coordinator of H4AC, also said the number of malnourished children, as well as the rate of maternal deaths were increasing.
Figures from the organisation which lobbies for proper implementation of the government’s free health care for mothers and under-5 children, show that in 2015 they recorded 15 cases of maternal deaths in the district. But Kallon says that between January and August this year alone, they have recorded 21 such deaths.
Kallon attributed the situation to insufficient provision of the Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Programme (OTP) for malnourished children and the inability of locals to access nutritious foods.
According to district officials, some 36 Peripheral Health Units from among the over 75 in the district are providing OTP. Kallon said people in the district had not been utilising their local produce as food, rather they sell them off only to find themselves running short of foodstuff. He said the situation suggested a “very serious challenge” that required a “rapid” response from the ministries of Health and Agriculture, as well as development partners.
But the District Medical Officer, Dr David Bome believes much progress has been made regardless. In a telephone interview, Dr Bome told Politico that much improvement had been made in the area of food and nutrition security, which he attributed to the collective efforts of his District Health Management Team (DHMT), the UN children’s agency UNICEF, the CSO Community Action for Welfare of Children (CAWeC), the Pujehun District Council, and traditional leaders including Paramount Chiefs.
While admitting to the increase in maternal deaths, Dr Bome blamed this on cultural beliefs which he said meant locals were shying away from going yo health facilities. He said that even though Pujehun had “one of the best maternity hospitals in the country”, people’s perception in reporting health related issues had translated to apathy towards seeking healthcare.
He cited a recent incident in Bayama Gbonda village, some four miles from the district headquarter town, which he said has a well established health facility yet a pregnant woman was found dead after apparently failing to make it there to deliver. That incident prompted Paramount chiefs to formulate bylaws relating to issues surrounding reporting to hospitals.
Copyright (c) Politico 2016
