Detection of Malnourished Children Below 5 years in Darchula, Nepal: The Impact of Universal Community-Based Screening

Authors

  • Jagadish Joshi Health Directorate, Sudurpashchim Province, Rajpur, Doti, Nepal and Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA Author
  • Irshad Ahmed ollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, Health Department, Balochistan AIDS Control Program, Quetta, Pakistan Author
  • Anicet Ntisumbwa Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA Author
  • run Kumar Joshi Chitwan Medical Colleges, Bharatpur, Nepal Author
  • Sunita Sharma Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal Author
  • Krishna Kumar Deo Ministry of Social Development, Sudurpashchim Province, Dhangadhi, Kailali, Nepal Author
  • Khem Narayan Pokhrel Development and Research Service International, Nepal Author
  • Jay Raj Bhatta Health Office, Darchula, Nepal Author
  • Yogendra Shah National One Health Alliance for Neoal, Tahachal, Kathmandu, Nepal ,  Everest International Clinic and Research Center, Kathmandu, Nepal Author
  • Jerome Nyhalah Dinga Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA and Michael Gahnyam Gbeugvat Foundation, Buea, Cameroon and Biotechnology Unit, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47363/JFMPM/2025(2)111

Keywords:

Anthropometric Assessment, District-Wide Assessment, Malnutrition, Emergency Nutrition Assessment, Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions, Sudurpashchim Province

Abstract

Background: Proper nutrition is vital for health and the wellbeing of children. It supports physical growth, brain development, better immune function, prevent malnutrition and reduces the risk of mortality during the early period of life. However, reduction of malnutrition of the children remains highly concerning challenge globally and a priority (P1) program for the government of Nepal. The proportion of stunted and wasted children below 5 years of age children in Sudurpashchim province were 41 and 14 per thousand live births, respectively, which is significantly higher than the national data, which is 32 and 12 per thousand live births, respectively. These children are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality due to severe acute malnutrition. Hence, it was necessary to conduct a district wide campaign to effectively detect malnourished children.

Methods: The Health Office of Darchula of Sudurpashchim province conducted a district wide campaign reaching out to take anthropometric assessment of children below the age of five years between July 1, 2021, and October 15, 2021. The data collected was analyzed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition by types and severity among children of the study group.

Materials and Methods: The number of children below five from the Darchula District of Sudurpashchim province 5953. The data collected from these children was analyzed using universal anthropometric assessment. The Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) for Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) software was used to find out the prevalence of malnourished children in Darchula District of Sudurpashchim province of Nepal. The data was collected between July 1, 2021, and October 15, 2021. The study intended to analyse the findings out of 5953 under 5 children assessed from 43 wards of Darchula district where were done. severe acute malnutrition in terms of z-scores, oedema and 95% confidence intervals were obtained from data of the nutrition assessment campaign.

Results: A total of 5953 children from 43 wards from the Darchula District of Sudurpashchim province were admitted into the study. Analysis revealed the prevalence of Global acute malnutrition (GAM) at 10.6 % (95% CI, 9.8 - 11.4), Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at 2.8 % (95% CI, 2.4 - 3.3), i.e. 162 children, and 450 children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). However, before this campaign, only 9 SAM cases (6 in 2019 and 3 in 2020) were detected and treated during the two previous years.

Conclusion: District wide campaigns was found to be highly effective inn detecting GAM, SAM, and MAM cases that were missed in previous limited interventions. This will permit these new cases to be properly managed through early detection and prevention of the complications.

Author Biographies

  • Jagadish Joshi, Health Directorate, Sudurpashchim Province, Rajpur, Doti, Nepal and Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jagadish Joshi, Health Directorate, Sudurpashchim Province, Rajpur, Doti, Nepal and Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

  • Irshad Ahmed, ollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, Health Department, Balochistan AIDS Control Program, Quetta, Pakistan

    Irshad Ahmed, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, Health Department, Balochistan AIDS Control Program, Quetta, Pakistan

  • Anicet Ntisumbwa, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Anicet Ntisumbwa, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

  • run Kumar Joshi, Chitwan Medical Colleges, Bharatpur, Nepal

    run Kumar Joshi, Chitwan Medical Colleges, Bharatpur, Nepal

  • Sunita Sharma, Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Sunita Sharma, Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal

  • Krishna Kumar Deo, Ministry of Social Development, Sudurpashchim Province, Dhangadhi, Kailali, Nepal

     Krishna Kumar Deo, Ministry of Social Development, Sudurpashchim Province, Dhangadhi, Kailali, Nepal

  • Khem Narayan Pokhrel, Development and Research Service International, Nepal

    Khem Narayan Pokhrel, Development and Research Service International, Nepal

  • Jay Raj Bhatta, Health Office, Darchula, Nepal

    Jay Raj Bhatta, Health Office, Darchula, Nepal

  • Yogendra Shah, National One Health Alliance for Neoal, Tahachal, Kathmandu, Nepal ,  Everest International Clinic and Research Center, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Yogendra Shah, National One Health Alliance for Neoal, Tahachal, Kathmandu, Nepal , 
    Everest International Clinic and Research Center, Kathmandu, Nepal

  • Jerome Nyhalah Dinga, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA and Michael Gahnyam Gbeugvat Foundation, Buea, Cameroon and Biotechnology Unit, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

    Jerome Nyhalah Dinga, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA and Michael Gahnyam Gbeugvat Foundation, Buea, Cameroon and Biotechnology Unit, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

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Published

2025-04-26

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Volume 2 Issue 2

Section

Articles