Food and Nutrition Surveillance Food and Nutrition Surveillance and Response in Emergenciesand Response in Emergencies

Session 7Session 7Overview of malnutrition in Overview of malnutrition in

emergenciesemergencies

Session overviewSession overview• Overview of malnutrition

– Types of malnutrition– Strategies of addressing macro and micronutrient

deficiencies (supplementation, fortification, dietary diversification and food preparation).

• Definitions– Malnutrition

• Any condition caused by excess or deficient food energy or nutrient intake or by an imbalance of nutrients.

– Protein energy malnutrition• A range of pathological conditions arising from coincident lack

of varying proportion of protein and calories accruing most frequently in infant and young children and commonly associated with infections.

Types of malnutritionTypes of malnutrition

• Kwashiorkor:– A condition resulting due to protein deficient

characterized by the oedema, skin and hair changes and usually low body weight for age (<60% weight for age)

• Marasmus:– A condition of starvation to which a child has

adjusted by reduces growth.• Marasmic kwashiorkor:

– A condition that develops when the child diet is low in total calories and protein.

CLINICAL SIGNS OF P.E.M.CLINICAL SIGNS OF P.E.M.• Marasmus

– Extreme low weight– hunger– Extreme wasting– pot belly– an old persons face– irritability– Fretfulness

• Marasmic-kwashiorkor– extremely low weight– oedema– other signs of marasmus

and kwashiorkor

• Kwashiorkor– edema of legs, arms and

face– wasted weak muscles– enlarged liver– moon face– poor appetite– pale, sparse hair with weak

roots– pale and thin peeling skin

Micronutrient deficiencies Micronutrient deficiencies common in emergencycommon in emergency

• Micronutrient deficiency disorders:– Iron deficiency (defined as low heamogblobin

levels): the most prevalent in refugee camps the world-over due to lack of iron.

– Vitamin A deficiency is almost as widespread as anaemia, particularly among populations that depend of food aid.

– Zinc Deficiency is increasingly suspected in populations that live mainly on bulk grains for long periods.

Overview of malnutrition cont..Overview of malnutrition cont..• Vitamin C deficiency or scurvy:

– is even more localized than beriberi. Almost all outbreaks of scurvy in emergencies have been reported among Ethiopian and Somalis population, principally those who have been cut off for months from camel milk markets.

Indicators of Nutritional statusIndicators of Nutritional status

• Indicators of nutritional status:a) Height for age– Measures degree of stunting or chronic

malnutrition

b) Weight for height– Degree of wasting-estimates acute malnutrition

and need for immediate action

c) Weight for age:– Reflects both stunting and wasting.