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Nutrition: foundation for health
 On the occasion of World Health Day, Action Against Hunger draws attention to the vicious circle between disease and malnutrition. Malnourished children are significantly more vulnerable to disease than those who are well-nourished. Children weakened by illness and disease, often suffer from malnutrition as a direct result. Poor nutrition contributes to 60% of deaths in children under five years, often in association with infectious disease and common childhood illnesses. Better nutrition means stronger immune systems, less illness and better health. It is therefore necessary to fight hunger in order to combat disease and vice versa.
Action Against Hunger’s medical teams are experts on the medical aspects of malnutrition, tailoring treatment to ensure that malnourished children and their families receive not only the food they need to regain their health, but also medical treatment for diseases associated with malnutrition. Accordingly, they provide emergency medical attention to malnourished children and implement primary health care programmes for mothers and children.
Emergency care
 In Action Against Hunger’s Therapeutic Feeding Centres, our medical teams provide medical treatment to severely malnourished children including treatment for septicaemia, acute respiratory disease, dehydration, diarrhoea, malaria and severe anaemia. Specialised milk is given to treat the severe malnutrition.
Primary health care
Action Against Hunger supports the national health system by setting-up or supporting basic health care systems and structures. Primary health care is crucial, especially for illnesses that can easily be diagnosed and cured, but can lead to mortality without treatment (ie. diarrhoea, respiratory infections and malaria). Action Against Hunger supports the national health system in line with the respective national health policies of a country.
In our Mother-Child Health Centres, mothers and children receive vaccinations against childhood diseases and other prevalent disease, pre-natal care and options for safe delivery. These centres usually are connected to our Supplementary Feeding Centres, where children suffering from moderate malnutrition and pregnant women receive complementary food rations to prevent worsening of their nutrition status .
Our programmes include:
- Rehabilitation or setting-up of health centres
- Provision of medicine and medical kits
- Training of medical staff (vaccinations, pre-natal care, general treatment)
- Planning, management and follow-up of health care activities
- Capacity building and training
- Facing challenges of finding effective and affordable treatment for the sustainable treatment of malnutrition
- Psychological support to people admitted to Therapeutic Feeding Centres
- Research on the links between HIV/AIDS and malnutrition
Our programmes are carried out in consultation and collaboration with local authorities to try and ensure sustainability when Action Against Hunger leaves.
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