Nairobi, July 3, 2024 – In a concerted effort to combat severe acute malnutrition, the Ministry of Health’s Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) Kenya Country Office and other stakeholders, has launched a six-day training workshop on the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM).
The workshop held in late June aims to bolster the skills and expertise of nutritionists and clinicians from 16 counties across Kenya.
Severe acute malnutrition remains a pressing public health challenge in Kenya, significantly increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality among children. Severely wasted children are 12 times more likely to die than their well-nourished peers and face lifelong issues such as poor growth, developmental delays, and increased susceptibility to diseases.
According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey, while progress has been made in reducing stunting and obesity, there has been a slight increase in wasting levels, underscoring the ongoing need for targeted interventions. The survey revealed that stunting rates among children under five decreased from 26% in 2014 to 17.6% in 2022. However, wasting rose from 4% to 5%, and overweight and obesity rates fell from 4% to 3%. Nationally, wasting levels stand at 5.0%, but some arid and semi-arid (ASAL) regions report Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates exceeding 15%, highlighting a critical need for enhanced healthcare services in these areas.
The recent Integrated Phase Classification for Acute Malnutrition (IPC-AMN) assessment in February 2024 estimated that approximately 847,000 children aged 6 to 59 months and 124,000 pregnant and lactating women require treatment for acute malnutrition. As of May 2024, 347,265 children under five are enrolled in treatment programs across the country.
The workshop in Naivasha employs a standardized modular training package adapted from WHO’s “Training Course on the Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition 2022,” incorporating comprehensive clinical practice sessions aimed at significantly improving the quality of care for acute malnutrition in Kenya.
“The training aims to address significant capacity gaps in managing acute malnutrition, particularly in non-ASAL counties,” said a spokesperson from the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics. “By equipping healthcare workers with the necessary skills, we aim to enhance nutrition service delivery and the quality of care for displaced and hard-to-reach populations, thereby reducing morbidities and preventable mortalities.”
Participants will also receive updates on the 2023 WHO recommendations on preventing and managing acute malnutrition. The knowledge and skills acquired from this workshop will be crucial for supporting IMAM services in their respective counties, contributing to the broader goal of reducing malnutrition and improving child health outcomes in Kenya.
This initiative comes against a backdrop of significant challenges. Recent protests against the Finance Bill 2024 have resulted in widespread unrest, with reports of over 40 deaths and substantial property damage. The protests, sparked by public disapproval of the bill, have created a volatile environment that threatens to exacerbate issues of poverty and malnutrition. Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Health remains committed to addressing acute malnutrition and ensuring the well-being of Kenya’s most vulnerable populations.