This is Hawanatu, 23 months old. She has been suffering from severe malnutrition for more than a year. She can neither walk nor speak. She has already been hospitalized many times (for malaria, pneumonia, etc.), but most of the time the hospital runs out of Plumpy’Nut (a high-energy, nutrient-rich therapeutic paste used to help malnourished children regain weight and strength), so Hawanatu is sent back home without any help or support.
In Sierra Leone, one third of children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition. More than 26% experience stunted growth, and just over 6% suffer from severe acute malnutrition. These children are 9 times more likely to die before their 5th birthday than a well-nourished child. They are also at greater risk of infections, and of course, their development is severely delayed.
There are many causes of malnutrition: insufficient food intake (quantity and diversity), frequent infections (malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, etc.), chronic illnesses (tuberculosis, HIV), early cessation of breastfeeding, lack of access to clean drinking water, poor hygiene, and more.
These children require special care, which unfortunately healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone often struggle to provide.
We met Hawanatu this week during one of our outreach missions in a village. We brought her to the nearest health center to ensure follow-up by the nurse in charge, who told us that she had not received any Plumpy’Nut for several months. We then checked the stock at the district hospital. Same story. For months, malnourished children have been left without proper nutritional treatment… However, we were informed that a new supply of Plumpy’Nut is expected next month. All we can do now is keep our fingers crossed…
In the meantime, we gave Hawanatu’s mother lots of advice on the type of food to give her and on the importance of keeping her vaccinations up to date. We hope to see her again soon in better health 
