JUBA-Juba is witnessing Child mortality increases over the last two years, medical officers in Alsabah Children Hospital pushed blames to parent for poor feeding to the children. The officer in charge of the nutrition unit in Alsabah Hospital, Juba Mrs. Eunice Dawa Bathuel said that undernourishment has contributed up to eighty percent to the total death of children below the age of the five in Juba. She disclosed that three children died at the first week of the February due to malnutrition.
Eunice said that 26 children are undertaking therapy meals in the hospital, according to Eunice many mothers escape away with their children from the hospital despite the fact that the children did not recover. She described the decision of those mothers as disaster to the live of their children.
She said that only children suffering from malnutrition are recommended for therapy meals in the nutrition unit, while caretakers look different ways of survival outside the Hospital. She urged the Government to provide food to the mothers as some mothers came from Far and have no relative in Juba. Mothers with no relatives in Juba end up running away with from the hospital due lack of food for them.
According to the records of the hospital, malnutrition cases has slow down from February, unlike in January, but Eunice expresses fear of malnutrition increase in the summer. She said that the malnutrition is caused by lack of enough food.
She said that they are working hard to help the children recover and also refer them to Juba Teaching Hospital if their diseases are beyond the capacity of the children Hospital. According to Eunice three children admitted to due malnutrition died and two were referred to Juba Teaching Hospital and 21 are undertaking therapy feeding. She said that among the Malnourish children, three are associated with HIV/AIDS and two were suffering from Tuberculoses. She said that those with TB will be taken to Juba Teaching after gaining weight.
The director of Alsabah Hospital Dr. Loputo Loputo said that Juba is running food shortage and that the shortage has led to increase of food stuff prices in the markets.
Loputo she that malnutrition is an economic problem, he described that eighty percent of the South Sudan communities live below one dollar per day. He said that beside the lack of food many families don’t know how to cook food particularly to children under two years. He urges mother to balance foods in their weekly calendars.
He said that people in Juba don’t value vegetables. He said that the vegetables and fruits constitute 80 percent of the nutrients needed by human body. He said that watery diarrhea, anemia. The Dr. said that the hospital is running out of space to accommodate the big number of the children suffering from malnutrition. The capacity of the nutrition unit in only for twelve kinds, but 26 kids was put to the ward.
He said that sometimes the number even increase up to fifty, particularly in the rain season. He said that they are working in partnership with United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF). He expressed need of massive awareness on nutrition. He appealed to the nongovernmental Organization working in the health department to coming with nutrition to avoid death.
Mrs. Rose Massimo 40 was admitted with her 1 year and three old baby in the Nutrition Ward, the baby is malnourish, she is weighting four kgs after three week of anemia. Rose is a resident of Torit Eastern Equatoria; she came to Juba looking for treatment. She expressed difficulties in the Hospital. She said that the Hospital doesn’t consider situation of people from far. Rose is not entitled to food in the hospital, she said. Rose said that her baby’s father in Torit and that there is no immediate person to help her in Juba.