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Nqobile Tshili,[email protected]

YOUNG mothers are feeling the brunt of the El Nino-induced drought, which has seen some of them failing to adequately provide for their children who end up being hospitalised after suffering from malnutrition.

Zimbabwe and its southern African peers are in the middle of an El Nino-induced drought following poor rains during the last cropping season, which crippled harvests for communities across the region.

To ensure no one dies of hunger, the Government, with support from partner organisations, is rolling out a food aid programme to support 7,7 million people across the country.

However, young mothers, some of whom are not gainfully employed, are the worst affected as they are struggling to provide for their children.

Yves Willemot- UNICEF

This has resulted in an increase of malnourished children being admitted to hospital according to Mpilo Central Hospital’s head of nutrition unit, Matron Penny Ncube.

Speaking during a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) media tour of Mpilo Central Hospital where the United Nations agency is assisting in taking care of children affected by malnutrition, Matron Ncube said young mothers were struggling to provide food to their children.

“The problem is that food is scarce, they don’t have much at home because of the drought as many families did not harvest this year,” she said.
Matron Ncube said although the numbers of those being admitted were not very high, they were gradually going up.

“We have nine patients at the moment and most of them are children of young mothers who probably do not have good support systems. They need to be empowered so that they are able to fend for their children,”she said.

Matron Ncube said the admitted children were from Bulawayo and Matabeleland North since Mpilo is a referral hopital for Matabeleland North province.

She said some of the children were from as far as Binga and Tsholotsho districts, which have been seriously affected by the El Nino-induced drought.

Young mother with child admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital for malnutrition.

Government has identified Binga as one of the worst affected districts hence it is rolling out schools feeding programme in the district.

Matron Ncube said some of the mothers prematurely stopped breastfeeding to seek employment thereby exposing the children to malnutrition.

She said the hospital refers the needy young mothers to the Social Welfare Department, which then helps provide food. Matron Ncube said Unicef was providing supplements for the children and technical support to nurses.

Unicef nutritionist, Mr Vengai Taremba, said his organisation was working with the Government to address issues of malnutrition hence the programme to assist some of the health institutions.

He said failure to adequately breastfeed was contributing to malnutrition.

“What we are doing as Unicef is supporting the Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care as we have strategies to address malnutrition,” said Mr Teremba.

He said there was a need to educate women on the importance of breastfeeding to avoid malnutrition.

“Some of the women do not understand the importance of breastfeeding children for a recommended period hence this programme to educate them,” said Mr Taremba. —@nqotshili