Reducing Stunting among Children Under 5 in Yemen

1649 Words4 Pages

Introduction
Public health is now in the epidemiological transition of communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases. This shifting in trend of diseases continuously strike almost all parts of the world, particularly the developing countries. Many of these ill health outcomes can be prevented if the policies are effectively implemented in timely manner. As such, states should be aware of these changes and respond in appropriate public health systems and policies.
However, in many countries, the capacity of public health response is poor in making effective decisions, and there is no well established research for this process (Allin et al., 2004). During recent decade, a number of tools emerged in support of decision making in public health and amongst these, evidence informed decision making (EIDM) has become widely in use (Ciliska et al., 2008). It is the process which integrate the best available research evidence into decision making. Additionally, community health issues, local context, political preferences and available resources should be taken into account at different levels of decision making: community, national, regional and international levels.
Scenario and Task
We are the public health officers from the Ministry of Health in Yemen. 58% of children under 5 in Yemen are in moderate and severe stunting (below minus two standard deviations from median length for age of reference population). Poverty, illiteracy and poor feeding practices are the main reasons behind. Stunting in children lead to low cognitive ability, low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and, as a result, low productivity in later stage of life. This is a vicious cycle. We are assigned to develop public health policies to reduce prevalence ...

... middle of paper ...

...ay a crucial role in addressing stunting problem in children under 5.
Efficacy: The systematic reviews showed loads of benefits from macro and micro nutrient supplementations. For instance, small for gestational age (SGA) and low birth weight can be reduced by iron-folate and calcium supplements in pregnancy. Promoting the use of iodized salt is also helpful for physical and mental development and reducing mortality among children. As well, the review supported the fact that balanced energy protein supplements to both mother and child decrease the risk of SGA, stillbirths and low birth weight.
Community Effectiveness: Despite strong evidence of benefit, further assessments for effectiveness might be needed to guide specific intervention for Yemen. Feasibility, community acceptability and cost analysis have to be investigated prior to implement this strategy.

More about Reducing Stunting among Children Under 5 in Yemen

Open Document