Spotlight on SAM: Action Against Hunger | ACF International in Nigeria
A severely malnourished child is fed a
ready-to-use-therapeutic food by his mother.
ACF-Nigeria, E.A. Menafudi
Action Against Hunger | ACF International, a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger, accurately assessed Nigeria as a “land of significant dichotomy.” The country boasts the second largest economy in Africa, supplies the US with 20% of its oil, and is expected to have the highest average GDP growth rate in the world over the next 40 years. The children of Nigeria tell a different story. There are more than one million Nigerian children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
In 2010, Action Against Hunger became one of four international NGOs to set up office in Nigeria. Over the next year, ACF provided lifesaving treatment (including RUTF) for 12,000 victims of SAM, trained over 1,000 community volunteers and 200 health workers, and supported 36 health centers in northern Nigeria, the most distressed area of the country. ACF has plans to double this reach in 2012, and will ultimately be supporting 70 health centers in Nigeria.
As high rates of waterborne diseases are heavily correlated with high rates of SAM, ACF plans to diversify its programs by working to provide clean water, good sanitation, and community outreach on hygiene practices. ACF is also conducting food security and livelihood assessments to determine the causes of SAM in northeastern Nigeria. By better understanding the struggles of Nigerians, ACF will be better prepared to work towards closing the gap between Nigeria’s growing economy and its suffering children.
Read more about ACF’s amazing work in Nigeria and elsewhere, here.