Meet Maimouna

Meet Maimouna, a three-year-old farmer’s daughter living on the outskirts of the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui.

In a country battling with high food prices and a decline in agriculture, many children, like Maimouna, are malnourished.

Maimouna arrives to a therapeutic feeding centre at Bangui Paediatric Centre after a 55 mile trek with her aunt, as her mother is too ill to accompany her. She is suffering from "kwashiorkor", a form of severe acute malnutrition. This type of malnutrition is characterised by the appearance of oedema: a swelling of the limbs caused by excessive water retention. A child suffering from kwashiorkor is at high risk of death and requires immediate treatment.

To celebrate World Food Day 2010, you can follow Maimouna’s day-by-day recovery.

25th September 2010

Once Maimouna arrived at the centre, Action Against Hunger staff members immediately take her measurements. Maimouna weighs a mere 10kg. This is grossly insufficient for her age and height. Her nutritional status is also checked by measuring her mid-upper arm circumference, known as MUAC

26th September 2010

Additional tests are performed and the doctor requests a chest X-ray because Maimouna suffers from a persistent cough. We discover that she has pneumonia; malnutrition is often induced, among other factors, by diseases such as pneumonia. Maimouna immediately receives medical treatment.

27th September 2010

Maimouna and her aunt meet again with the doctor. Daily monitoring is needed to properly assess her progress. It also allows her aunty to u

28th Sepetmber 2010

Maimouna has now been ill for a whole month. Before coming to the clinic, she was treated with traditional medicines at home, but there has been no improvement which her aunt brought her to the clinic.

29th September 2010

Maimouna receives therapeutic milk five times per day. The milk is rich in vitamins and minerals, but low in protein, sugar and fat. Maimouna is at the most critical and sensitive stage of her treatment, so our goal is to treat her medical symptoms and for her condition to stabilise, rather than focusing on increasing her weight.

30th September 2010

It is important that Maimouna is in a calm, stable atmosphere whilst she takes her milk. Maimouna’s aunt is there to softly encourage her. The milk must not be forced, so Action Against Hunger staff members advise parents and carers on the correct practice.

1st October 2010

Some of Maimouna’s fellow patients at the centre are suffering from another type of severe acute malnutrition, known as “severe wasting”. This type of malnutrition is characterised by a massive loss of body fat and muscle tissue and is recognisable by an emaciated body with a paunchy belly.

2nd October 2010

Maimouna’s condition is slowly improving. After five days, her oedema is disappearing and Action Against Hunger staff members refer her to the next phase of her treatment. In this so-called transition phase, Maimouna will receive a different therapeutic milk, however, she must still remain on antibiotics.

3rd October 2010

The daily monitoring of Maimouna’s weight continues. Good news! The curves show a drop in weight, which indicates that the oedema is fading.

4th October 2010

The therapeutic feeding centre not only treats severely malnourished children, but also holds regular information and awareness raising sessions for mothers and carers. A small change in care and feeding practices can prevent their children from relapsing into malnutrition.

5th October 2010

Malnourished child need specialist care by trained professionals; general paediatric nursing is not sufficient, therefore, our teams train local staff in the treatment of malnutrition. By working in close collaboration with local communities and training local staff, we are providing long-term solutions for the treatment of malnutrition.

6th October 2010

After a week at the centre, Maimouna is doing really well. She continues her nutritional treatment, and can finally play with the other children. Playtime cannot be underestimated as it is important to stimulate their development.

7th October 2010

Good hygiene at the centre is also crucial. All parents and/or carers receive soap and hygiene training when they arrive at the centre. Children are always washed at the hottest time of the day to avoid hypothermia.

8th October 2010

According to her latest health check, Maimouna is doing well and will now enter the final phase of her treatment.

9th October 2010

Maimouna receives ready-to-use therapeutic food, a nutrient rich, high protein treatment which will aid her recovery

10th October 2010

Whilst Maimouna gets stronger, more acutely malnourished children arrive at the centre. The Central African Republic has alarming malnutrition rates which not only affects a child’s life, but impacts upon the whole community.

11th October 2010

Another little girl, Kossi, is also at the centre today. She also suffers from acute malnutrition, but has maintained her appetite with no medical complications; therefore she does not need to stay at the centre. Instead she will receive a weekly amount of therapeutic food.that’s ready prepared for use at home.

12th October 2010

Depending on the situation, we also provide extra supplementary food to families to ensure that the family has enough food to feed all their children and the malnourished child receives the specialised therapeutic food needed for his or her recovery.

13th October 2010

While Maimouna and other children are treated at the centre, Action Against Hunger’s team is also implementing activities in villages aimed at preventing malnutrition, promoting its early detection and its management within the community. It is crucial to address the causes of malnutrition to prevent children from developing malnutrition.

14th October 2010

Her latest medical assessment shows that Maimouna has now regained her health! She no longer has any oedema, has reached her target weight, and no longer has medical complications. Her aunty is understandably relieved.

15th October 2010

Today Maimouna is well enough to leave the centre! She will be given ready to use therapeutic foods to prevent any relapse and her aunty is now fully aware of Maimouna’s nutritional needs. It is fantastic news that Maimouna has made a full recovery, but we must not forget the thousands of other children who need our help. Our fight against hunger will continue…