In a distressing revelation, the Minister of Health in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Dr. Vincent Taban, has reported the tragic deaths of at least four children due to malnutrition-related cases in Wau.
The deceased children are returnees and refugees fleeing the Sudanese conflict.
According to Dr. Taban, while there has been a slight decrease in malnutrition cases since the start of September, the preceding months were marked by an alarming increase, with over eighty cases reported at Wau Teaching Hospital from July to August.
“The people that we admitted, most of them were coming from Sudan with poor health conditions, plagued by malnutrition. We admitted a significant number of them, and regrettably, we lost four children to malnutrition, while some were also battling measles,” he explained. “In July and August, we treated more than eighty children in the Outpatient Therapeutic Program. The encouraging news is that from September, the number started to decline.”
The minister pointed out that the victims are predominantly children under the age of five, many of whom arrived from Sudan with deteriorating health.
“Those coming from Sudan have poor health standards and present cases related to malnutrition. We admit a majority of them due to their dire health conditions, often complicated by diarrhea and malnutrition cases,” Dr. Taban said. “From July to September, Wau Teaching Hospital admitted and treated over 80 children for malnutrition. The surge in malnutrition is attributed to other diseases, energy deficiency, and a lack of nutritious food.”
“In August alone, we admitted and treated over 800 children at the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP), and in July, the number was equally staggering,” he added.
The minister however said there is now tangible progress in the recovery of the malnourished children. He acknowledged that while it is not the primary responsibility of the health ministry to address the livelihoods of families, his ministry is actively taking measures to care for those affected by the crisis.