The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RTUF) worth Ksh 26,389,440 to Kenya’s Ministry of Health to help boost the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The country’s Ministry of Health, in a statement, noted that the donation of 5,000 cartons of RTUF is enough to treat 10,000 children, aged six to 59 months, with severe malnutrition, and will go a long way in complimenting the government’s ongoing drought response efforts.

Available data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that in Kenya, more than a quarter of children under the age of five, or two million children, have stunted growth, which is the most frequent form of under-nutrition among young children.

According to a report by ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), as of October 2022, more than 4.2 million people, representing 24 percent of the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) population, were faced with high levels of acute food insecurity as a result of the severe drought in the region.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, Josephine Mburu, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling acute malnutrition, especially in the 23 counties currently affected by the ongoing drought.

The principal secretary further noted that the Kenya 2022 Demography Health Survey indicates significant progress in the reduction of malnutrition among children under five years.

On his part, the WHO Country Director, Abdourahman Diallo, acknowledged government efforts in ensuring Kenyans get access to quality health care and assured of WHO’s continued support and partnership with the government of Kenya.

Source: Kenya Min of Health

Photo source: Kenya Min of Health