The Ministry of Public Health has developed a plan titled “Practical Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Severe or Acute Malnutrition among Mothers and Children.” Under this plan, in addition to treatment, public awareness about malnutrition will also be provided to people in remote areas.
Officials emphasize the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition and warn that negligence in this regard could lead to loss of life among those affected.
Abdulwali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Service Delivery at the Ministry of Public Health, said:“The ministry is committed to ensuring that this guideline will not remain limited to the central level, but will be implemented practically in all remote areas of the country. Our goal is for every health center, health worker, and every community to have a clear approach to preventing and managing malnutrition.”
According to officials, the current number of malnourished children stands at 3.7 million, of whom one million suffer from severe malnutrition, while the remaining 2.7 million are affected by moderate malnutrition.
They add that in addition to children, 1.2 million women—especially mothers—are also suffering from malnutrition. The Ministry of Public Health says serious efforts are underway to treat those affected.
The Director of Nutrition at the Ministry of Public Health, Hikmatullah Masoumi, said: “Regarding malnutrition figures, approximately 3.7 million children are suffering from malnutrition, including one million with severe malnutrition and 2.7 million with moderate malnutrition. Additionally, around 70,000 children are at risk of progressing from moderate to severe or acute malnutrition.”
The United Nations has pledged support and assistance, saying it will not abandon malnourished Afghan children and mothers and will fully cooperate in their treatment.
UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, Tajuddin Ovelia, said: “We are all working together to support the people of Afghanistan, especially malnourished children. We are moving forward in this area with full cooperation, and we consider it an honor to work inside Afghanistan on children’s lives and futures. We also thank the Ministry of Public Health for providing the opportunity to turn our commitments and cooperation into action.”
While the Ministry of Public Health assures that it is using all available resources to treat those affected by malnutrition, it has also called on international donors to fully cooperate with Afghanistan in this area.
