NAIROBI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 754,906 children under five years of age and 103,286 pregnant and lactating women require treatment for acute malnutrition as a result of Kenya's ongoing drought, a government official said Tuesday.
Patrick Amoth, the director-general for health at the Ministry of Health, said in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the government has activated the nutrition response which includes the supply of lifesaving commodities, nutrition screening and integrated outreaches.
"The ministry has also developed draft guidelines for maternal, infant and young child nutrition in emergency which are intended to guide the implementation of multi-sectoral actions to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding as well as safe and appropriate complementary feeding practices during emergencies," Amoth said during the official opening of the first national symposium on maternal, infant and young child nutrition.
He noted that the most affected populations by acute malnutrition are those in arid and semi-arid counties.
"The prevailing drought has adversely affected the most vulnerable groups especially, children under five years of age, pregnant and lactating women," he said.
According to the Ministry of Health, the most notable impact of the drought is the interruption of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices resulting in an increased risk of malnutrition and illness.
Amoth added that malnutrition is a leading cause of infant and child morbidity, mortality and hospital admission, a situation that urgently requires interventions. ■