cases, the sick children received more fluids. Overall, in case of diarrhoea episode, 59% of
children received ORT and / or received more fluids. In addition, other treatments were given
to cure the child: it is in 55% of cases, tablets or syrup and in 11% of cases, intravenous
solutions. It should be noted that 14% of children received no treatment.
The investigation has finally shown that nearly seven out of ten women (69%) knew about
the SRO as a treatment against diarrhoea, however, this proportion varies significantly
depending on the age or the mother's level of education and the departments.
5.3.3.5 Improvement of nutritional status
Background
Regarding general nutrition, armed conflicts which affected Congo in the 1990s had led
partners involved in emergency situations to implement a particular support mechanism for
malnourished through:
• The opening of therapeutic feeding centres (CNT) and supplementation centres (CNS);
• The introduction of a nutritional surveillance system operating at two levels: (i) an
emergency level consisting of nutritional rehabilitation centres (CNS) for the management of
moderate malnutrition; (ii) a more general level for the treatment of all persons having a
weight / size index between 70% and 79%, considered moderately malnourished and
supported by recovery centres.
With the return of peace, the government has established an alternative system of CNT and
CNS by delegating the care of severely malnourished in phase I to basic hospitals, while the
CSI were involved in phase II, for severe and moderate malnutrition. It should be noted after
identification and triage, the CSI teams benefited from, the support of volunteer community
health workers, who worked in the CNT and CNS. The implementation of this system has
allowed updating of health workers’ knowledge in the field of nutrition and timely detection
of cases of acute, severe and moderate malnutrition, to be referred to more appropriate
facilities.
Improving the nutritional status can only be achieved by specific and general actions targeted
in the economic, cultural, social and environmental areas. Thus, among the specific activities
to be undertaken, the following can be highlighted:
- Intense nutrition education and transfer of high energy density fortified complementary
foods, cooked at the household level;
- Introduction to energy meals for families at risk and for adolescents;
- Nutritional education for adults and children from privileged backgrounds, in order to
reduce the high rate of obesity;
- Developing food guides for people with specific diseases (PVVIH);
- Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months;
- Appropriate complementary feeding over breastfeeding from 6 months to 24 months;
- Adequate vitamin A for women, infants and young children;
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