KABUL (Pajhwok): The number of malnutrition services sites in the country has increased to 3,200 during the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rule nationwide, an official said on Tuesday. Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said before the IEA takeover only 800 malnutrition services sites existed nationwide.
Dr. Sharafat said: “During post-IEA rule, basic health services for malnourished children and mothers have increased, and now the Ministry of Public Health provides health services for children and mothers with acute and moderate malnutrition through nearly 3,200 sites across the country.” He said before the IEA takeover only 800 malnutrition services sites were active nationwide.
“The malnutrition services funded supported by the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and it cost $170 million annually,” he added. Referring to the number of malnourished patients, Dr. Sharafat said: “Last year, some institutions said that nearly four million children suffering from malnutrition existed but at the end of the year when we got the new facts and figures there was a noticeable difference.
” He said this year, it was estimated that there were 857,000 severely malnourished children and two million moderately malnourished children in Afghanistan, but the collected figures have decreased and most of the malnourished children are less than five years old. Views: 3.