A remarkable partnership has been sealed, through Irish Aid's contribution of Euro 450,000 to UNICEF, in support of the Government of Lesotho's (GOL) response to the current food insecurity. The aid comes at a time when the country is facing one of the worst droughts experienced in 30 years.
Many in Lesotho have been forced in a state of chronic vulnerability as a result of a streak of consecutive droughts that have hit the country over the past decade. Twenty per cent of children are underweight and 38 per cent of children under 5 years are chronically malnourished. This situation is expected to worsen because of the current drought and the increase in acute malnutrition.
Moreover, food shortages worsen the plight of people living with and affected by HIV and diminish an individual's overall health status. Children, especially orphans and under 5's, are more likely to suffer the effects of acute or chronic malnutrition and are in turn more susceptible to disease. In addition, malnutrition increases the likelihood that a child will be less responsive to HIV treatment.
It is against this backdrop that UNICEF seeks to support the GOL to reduce excess mortality related to the impact of the drought through appropriate management and prevention of severe malnutrition in children under 5 yeas of age. "This generous contribution will go a long way in helping vulnerable children by building on already existing programmes and ensuring a more comprehensive response," said Aichatou Diawara-Flambert, UNICEF Representative in Lesotho.
The Irish funds will help to address the specific needs of children in Lesotho, in the context of the drought, through the establishment of 60 therapeutic feeding centres (30 in health centres and 30 in schools) for severely malnourished children in support of the Ministry of Health's efforts as well as provision of supplementary feeding. Through the contribution, UNICEF will promote increased coordination of interventions to improve the concerted efforts of implementing partners. The contribution will also be used to strengthen the national nutrition surveillance system and the establishment of sentinel sites to regularly monitoring the trends in malnutrition and support evidence based programming.
Speaking at the signing ceremony between Irish Aid and UNICEF, His Excellency, Paddy Fay, the Ambassador of Ireland to Lesotho, commented on how pleased he is to enter into such a momentous agreement. He expressed the hope that UNICEF will strive to strengthen coordination among all partners working in nutrition.
About 4,000 severely malnourished children will benefit from Therapeutic feeding interventions and 16,000 moderate to severely malnourished children and their mothers will benefit from supplementary feeding interventions through this project. The contribution covers a six-month period as part of the UNICEF Flash Appeal for the current emergency.
UNICEF is closely monitoring the nutrition status of under 5 children admitted to hospitals because of malnutrition and is supporting the finalisation of national guidelines and protocols for the management of severe malnutrition and training of health functionaries; the promotion of appropriate feeding practices; and the provision of therapeutic foods and micronutrients along with anthropometric scales.
A number of other heath activities are underway, as provision of immunization and Vitamin A supplementation (through the upcoming measles campaign 09-18 October) that will contribute to the reduction of malnutrition in children. The construction and rehabilitation of health care facilities is ensuring improved service delivery along with the provision of supplementary foods, medical supplies, vehicles and transport costs for monitoring and expansion of health services. Provision of operational costs for mentoring health service providers and expanding outreach programmes is another area of support. UNICEF also assists Government and partners with supplies such as ARVs, testing kits, vaccines, cold chain and related consumables and garden seeds and tool kits.