The Ministry of Public Health reported that in the first three months of the current calendar year, services were provided to approximately 210,000 children and 140,000 mothers suffering from malnutrition.
Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, the spokesperson for the ministry, urged health aid organizations to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to provide further services to malnutrition patients.
The Ministry of Public Health’s spokesperson stated: “Since the beginning of 2024, we have provided health services across the country to approximately 210,000 children suffering from moderate malnutrition and also to 140,000 mothers afflicted with malnutrition.”
Some caregivers say that due to the lack of proper food, their children have developed malnutrition.
Shafiqa, the mother of a sick child, said: “We don’t have enough food, and poverty has led us to this situation.”
The Indira Gandhi Children Hospital is one of the hospitals where families frequently bring their children for treatment of various diseases, especially malnutrition.
The head of the internal department at this hospital stated that for several years now, all the beds in the malnutrition department have been occupied with patients.
Mohammad Aref Hassanzai, head of the internal department at the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, said: “Our beds are usually occupied; sometimes, when there are more patients, two people share one bed.”
The question remains whether malnutrition is solely related to inadequate access to food or if other factors also contribute to children contracting this condition.
Mojtaba Sofi, a doctor, commented, “First, the level of mothers’ awareness should increase, the economy should improve, and people should be educated on how to feed their children and what food is beneficial. Malnutrition occurs when people lack proper knowledge about food and nutrition.”
According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, in 2023, medical services were provided to 5.1 million children and one million mothers suffering from moderate malnutrition across the country.—Tolonews
