Society
Communities Fight Malnutrition Through Better Eating Habits
A family photo taken during a workshop organized by Catholic Relief Services on Wednesday at Hôtel Louvre. A more diverse diet, regular growth monitoring and exclusive breastfeeding until six months. In Catholic Relief Services' intervention zones in Madagascar, these practices have evolved over the past ten years. Evaluations conducted between 2015 and 2025 show improvement in several nutritional indicators. Among pregnant and breastfeeding women, diet has become more diverse while underweight cases have declined. Exclusive breastfeeding until six months has also increased. Among children under five, underweight and stunting have decreased. Children aged 6 to 23 months are also more likely to receive acceptable minimum complementary feeding. These changes are based notably on community support. Relay women visit families to raise awareness about good eating practices, hygiene and health. Follow-up. Mothers of children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition can also participate in ten to twelve-day sessions. They learn to prepare complementary meals using local products and improve hygiene practices. The community finally participates in monitoring children's growth and identifying causes of malnutrition, to adapt actions to local needs. Presented Wednesday at Hôtel Louvre, these results show that fighting malnutrition also depends on families' daily habits. Fanilo Mampianintsoa
Source: L'Express de Madagascar