The miracle food restoring children’s health

Stories of recovery made possible by peanut paste

Malnutrition is deadly. But the treatment is simple: A course of treatment with therapeutic peanut paste can bring children back to good health.

Climate shocks, escalating conflicts and rising cost of living continue to devastate children’s lives, leading to a rise in cases of malnutrition. But malnutrition is treatable and preventable. 

A specially formulated Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) provides the nutritional support to help children bounce back fast. And thanks to you health facilities even in remote areas can be supplied with this miracle food.

From Gaza to Kenya to Somaliland and many places around the world, your support is helping malnourished children recover.

Accessing treatment and nutrition through outreach clinics

Photo: Sacha Myers / Save the Children 
At the outreach clinic, Ekuwom* was screened and treated for malnutrition.

The drought in Turkana has brought starvation to Ekuwom’s family. His mum Akai^* shares:

“We have only one main meal a day, and that’s supper. When I have no money, we don’t eat at all. When there’s no food, the children also don’t eat. When my children don’t eat, they feel bad and I feel bad and have pain in my heart, but I don’t have any alternatives. I don’t have a neighbour who I can turn to for help.”

With your help and the support of local partners, Save the Children set up 25 health and nutrition outreach sites to provide services for children and adults in the most at-risk and remote areas. 

At one of the outreach clinics, three-year-old Ekuwom was screened for malnutrition and enrolled in the nutrition program. He received two weeks supply of peanut paste to treat his malnutrition, and continues regular checkups.

“I decided to come because of the hunger in our family. I hoped to get help. We heard that we should bring sick or malnourished children here and that’s why we came. Save the Children is going beyond our expectations to help our children.”

The 25 outreach clinics are supported by GSK and Save the Children’s generous supporter community.

Amid violence, children have a chance to grow and develop

Photo: Shaima Al-Obaidi/ Save the Children. 

Morad^* was born during the war in Gaza. After one month of birth, his mum Hala* noticed that Morad was not developing as he should be and was soon only three kilograms at the age of 10 months. 

Morad had malnutrition, Cerebral Palsy and Laryngomalacia, all of which extremely affected his development. Morad had become so weak and frail that Hala was scared to hold him or play with him. 

“They [doctors] would tell me that there’s no hope for my son. That he’s a hopeless case. That if he lives, he’ll be paralyzed. They crushed my hopes ... But thank God, I came to [Save the Children] who boosted my hopes. They would tell me, ‘Your son will live and he’s gaining weight.’” 

Sure enough, Morad started gaining weight and his condition became much better. With Save the Children’s support, made possible by people like you, he has been receiving specialist treatment for malnutrition, including RUTF and other baby food items. 

The difference a health centre makes

Photo: Kate Stanworth / Save the Children.

In rural Somaliland, nurse Nasra^* assesses children when they come into the Save the Children supported health centre. She screens them for malnutrition, before supplying them with medicines and RUTF.

Nasra^* is very happy to see a marked improvement in the children she helps. Most of whom have families who had to walk for hours to access the clinic.

Many have lost livestock due to drought and climate change, leaving them poorer, and with few options for finding varied, nutritious food. This means that malnutrition is a constant threat, and the ongoing running of the health centre is critical to save lives.

With your help, Save the Children supports the health centre in health and nutrition, contributing to the running costs, including staff salaries, and the costs of materials.

“This community did not have a care centre before. [Therapeutic biscuits or RUTF], medications provided by the facility are really needed by the community. And I can attest that it has had a positive impact,” says Nasra.

Thank you for providing the health care and nutrition that help children survive and thrive.

Banner Photo: Shaima Al-Obaidi/ Save the Children.
 
^*Names changed to protect identities.