The health intervention dubbed USAID Afya Yangu project funded by USAID at a tune of 167.153bn/- ($66,835,592) have seen a decrease in number of children treated from malnutrition from a maximum of 16 per month to a maximum of eight children.
The interventions have further seen the Bunda District Council in Mara region in collaboration with Jhpiego extending treatments to children with malnutrition at Bunda District Council Hospital and Manyamanyama District Council.
Lucy Mwalwayo, the District Nutrition Officer, said the project that started earlier last year have also extended training on preparation of therapeutic food for the under five-year children with malnutrition.
"It started with identifying the affected children by consulting native doctors where most of the parents used to take for their treatment thinking that they were bewitched," said Mwalwayo.
According to her, the district had called for a meeting with about 300 native doctors and sensitizes them on malnutrition characteristics so that they can share information that would enable the children being treated scientifically.
"The district had in 2022/23 allocated 3.05mn/- to cover for ingredients cost for therapeutic food and in 2023/24 it has allocated 5.56mn/-," said Mwalwayo.
She asserted that caregivers of the child are trained on preparing therapeutic food that is made from a blended flour of sesame, sorghum, groundnuts, corn, and pumpkin seeds.
Lemi Manabu, aunt to Enock, a two-year boy had taken the boy to native doctors in belief that the child was bewitched.
A resident of Nyatwali village in Bunda district he was left behind with the boy after Enock's mother had conceived in a space of ten months after delivery.
The lady had stayed at Bunda District Council Hospital for a month and a half as Enock was being treated from malnutrition.
"I was discharged after the boy's health had recovered. I had already been trained on preparation of therapeutic food," said Manabu.
Regina Samson, resident of Guta village and a mother to Neema, a two year old girl, was admitted at the hospital for treatment that lasted a month.
She is now residing in Msoma district where she works as a bar tender. She left behind her recovering daughter in the hands of her mother.
"I must find something for a living of my children and mother. I'm struggling to get nutritious food for my daughter. Unfortunately, her father is irresponsible," said Samson.
Mang'era Mang'era (62), Regina's mother confirmed that the child had been taken to a native doctor.
"We were finally reached by district nutrition department and Jhpiego project that administered the treatment and has been making a follow-up on the child's recovering developments," said Mang'era.
She admitted that the child is recovering but the major challenge she inflicts is affording the therapeutic food that fetches up to 17,000/- a month.
"I hope that God will see us through with her health," she said.
Isack Chana, Medical Doctor at Bunda District Council Hospital said said Enock was admitted at the hospital with senior malnutrition.
According to him, malnutrition treatment goes through eleven stages to fully recovery of a child apart from feeling a child nutritious diet.
The treatments include prevention of information, dehydration, hypogrithemit, haemoglobin, prevent hypothermic and anaemia. The treatment takes a maximum of one week.
Chana asserted that once discharged the parents or caregivers are linked to community health attendants for stabilization follow-ups of the child's health.
Zabrone Masatu, Mara Regional Medical Officer said that nutrition health is the region's priority with a special focus on children under five and lactating mothers.
He said nutrition issues are observed from the early stage of pregnancy and after delivery by monitoring growth of the child.
"As for this project we have reached 1,608 children under five-year with diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition," he said.
Nathan Bagaya, Mara region USAID Afya Yangu project Coordinator, said the project has a component of capacity building for medical doctors, nurses and midwives so that they can offer quality health services.
He said prior to the project only two hospital namely Mara Regional Hospital and Shirati Hospital used to offer malnutrition treatments.
"We had picked three health specialists from each district councils of the region;
As of now eleven hospitals offers malnutrition treatments alongside four health centers in entire region," said Bagaya.
According to him, the project also has a component of reducing child pregnancy by administering sensitization campaigns in primary and secondary schools.
On pregnant women it engages in educating them on the importance of attending clinic at early stages of pregnancy and the role of taking nutritious food and complete meals.
"Taking complete nutritious food especially four meals a day during pregnancy and give after delivery reduces risks of malnutrition to newborns," said Bagaya.
According to the USAID Afya Yangu project report for year one of the implication, the project targets improving health services in rural areas of the project covered regions with a focus on reproductive health, material health, newborns, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH).
It is a five-year project implemented between January 2022 and January 2027.
It targets at supporting the Mainland Zanzibar's governments' efforts to achieving integrated RMNCAH services particularly among women of reproductive age, youths and children.
USAID Afya Yangu project utilizes a client-centered and result-driven approach while amplifying best practices and acceleration progress with the use of innovations to achieve intermediate results that includes improving access to qualify client-centered RMNCAH.
The other targeted results are improving ability of individuals to practice positive health-seeking and self-care behaviors and enhanced enabling environment for quality RMNCAH services provision.
With a budget tuned at $66,835,592, the project also issues grants under contract (GUCs) to local civil society organizations (CSOs) who are responsible for leading the community-based gender and interventions across the RMNCAH regions.
The project's first year achievement in all regions of implementation have seen the capacity of 380 existing and new clinical mentors across project thematic area integrated regions strengthened reaching over 5,339 health care workers and 1,663 health facilities in improving the quality and outcomes of RMNCAH services.
The first year of implementation have seen about 376,464 pregnant women attend at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy and childbirth services to improve pregnancy and newborn outcomes.
The project has further seen about 336,926 youths and adolescents reached with different RMNCAH services including family planning.
About 336,982 women gave birth in health facilities.
Over 505,100 materials were trained on social behavior change with key messages to promoting adoption of positive behaviours such as facility delivery, antinetal care visits, insecticide treated net to use during pregnancy, post-natal delivery, exclusive breastfeeding and family planning.
In the regions of implementation the project have reached a total of 5,926,088 youths through the the six week social media campaigns in antenatal care and family planning in two regions of Mwanza and Dar es Salaam.
The project covered regions are Mwanza, Geita, Mara, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Dodoma, Manyara, Katavi, Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Tabora and Zanzibar.
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