* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
International organisations and the government must look at the problem of malnutrition in Liberia as an educational challenge rather than just a health issue in order to save children's lives. The United Nations estimates that 44 percent of childhood deat
International organisations and the government must look at the problem of malnutrition in Liberia as an educational challenge rather than just a health issue in order to save children's lives.
The United Nations estimates that 44 percent of childhood deaths in the country are due to malnutrition, making it the most common cause of child mortality.
U.N. agencies have warned that if efforts to address key nutritional problems such as children being underweight, stunted growth or micronutrient deficiencies are not accelerated, some 78,000 Liberian women and children will die and 87,000 babies will be born mentally retarded.
"The problem is that people do not know that the problem is occurring and only learn that their children are malnourished after the child is brought sick to hospital and nurses diagnose malnutrition," said Samson Azorquoi, the acting medical director of Phebe Hospital in Bong county, central Liberia.
"The war has ended but the nutritional crisis has not ended," he added.
Phebe Hospital runs a major nutrition recovery centre supported by the United Nations Children's agency (UNICEF) that serves thousands of people, including those from neighbouring countries like Guinea and the Ivory Coast.
On a recent visit there, two of its patients, Josiah and Josephine, 17-month-old twins were being treated in a ward for severe acute malnutrition cases. They were tired and in tears with rising temperatures. Their mother - who did not want to be named and said she did not know her own age - looked overwhelmed by the circumstances at times.
"They just fell sick and when I brought them here the nurse told me they had to be admitted," said the mother of four.
Her eldest son, who is 4 years old, had also suffered from wasting and had been brought in for treatment. But now she knows what she needs to give her children to keep them healthy.
SICK FROM CAUSTIC SODA
Lorpu Dolo, 20, mother of 22-month-old Alpha Loila, also said she had learnt from her two months' stay in hospital with her son.
Her son drank lye - caustic soda - that is used to make local soap which constricted his oesophagus, making it impossible to eat and leading to severe wasting.
Nurses say it is a common problem in the Bong County and authorities have made efforts to educate the population including with posters featuring emaciated children and the message: "This is malnourishment - not from the lack of food but from caustic soda (lye)."
"When he gets well, I will take care of him like the people taught me, I will not allow him to get sick again," Dolo said.
The trend among organisations and health authorities has been to take advantage of pregnant or nursing mothers' visits to hospitals to spread information and increase knowledge on malnutrition issues in most communities in Liberia and in the West African region.
But it seems little success in breaking this cycle of ignorance will be achieved if the message is not taken to the communities where the people live.
"We need a lot of health, nutrition and child survival training and home visits to signal cases for referral," said Mary Tiah, a nurse in the Phebe Hospital nutrition centre.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
