WHO and MOH conduct cascade trainings on management of cases with severe acute malnutrition.

[Deeq A.]

 

Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 November 2017– The World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation
with the Somali Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has concluded in Mogadishu today a five-day
national cascade training on management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with medical
complications.
This cascade training which marked the participation of 24 health workers from 12 nutritional
stabilization centers in Somalia aimed at improving the quality of services in nutrition
stabilization centers and reducing the mortality rate resulting from the mismanagement of SAM
cases.
The training focused on the management of sever acute malnutrition with complications
including preparation of the therapeutic milk (F-75, F-100) using local available ingredients in
case of stock out of F-75 and F-00. Participants were also trained on the management of cholera
in severely malnourished children in accordance with WHO guidelines and technical
recommendations.
“More than 1.4 million children in Somalia are still under the threat of acute malnutrition,” said
Dr. Ghulam Popal WHO Representative in Somalia. “WHO will continue supporting the Federal
Ministry of Health with the trainings and technical advice required to build the national health
capacities and enable them manage the various malnutrition cases with medical complications,”
he added.
The trend of acute malnutrition from 2014 to 2017 is reflecting a clear deterioration in the
nutrition status of the population. The current draught crisis has increased the Global Acute
Malnutrition (GAM) percentage from 12% in 2014 to 17.4% in 2017. As of October this year, a
total of 388,000 children were reported with acute malnutrition while 87,000 were classified
with severe acute malnutrition. According to the nutrition cluster, these figures are likely to
increase by more than three folds in 2018.
Since September 2017, WHO has conducted two TOT and two cascade training courses on
management of acute malnutrition with medical complications for a total of 75 participants
from different parts of Somalia. The trainings were part of a program designed by WHO in
coordination with the local health authorities and nutrition cluster to respond to the draught
crisis and build the capacity of the Ministry of Health nutrition cadres to expand the training
program using national facilitators.
To maintain its health care delivery services and emergency response activities all over Somalia,
WHO will need to fill the funding gap of US$5 million with the beginning of 2018. So far, WHO
has been able to support its first-line health response program in Somalia through generous
contributions from The Government of Germany, The Government of Japan, The Vaccine
Alliance (GAVI), The Polio Global Eradication Initiative, The UN Central Emergency Relief
Fund (CERF), and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).