Healthy and Happy: children's food security in RDC

Dear Donors,
Despite the complex situation facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our commitment to the fight against malnutrition continues with determination, thanks to our collaboration with AMKA Onlus and the Augustinian Sisters.

Training for healthcare personnel and community representatives concluded at the end of May. Over the first three days, Amka staff, along with representatives from Pronanut (the Ministry of Health's Nutrition Program) and the Kafubu Health Zone, explained the national reference document for malnutrition management to healthcare workers from the Santa Rita Center and community relays in the Sambwa area: the National Protocol for the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PCIMA).

The protocol promotes an integrated approach to malnutrition treatment, structured on three levels:

• Community: relays (local volunteers) raise awareness among the population, identify cases early, and refer them to healthcare facilities.
• Primary healthcare: includes screening, diagnosis, and treatment of moderate (UNS) or severe cases without complications (UNTA), with ready-to-use therapeutic foods.
• Referral healthcare: dedicated to the most severe cases with medical complications (UNTI), requiring hospital treatment.

During the training, the focus was primarily on admission to the UNTA and UNS. The use of nutritional assessment tables and the fundamental role of community relays, the true "guardians" of prevention in the villages, were explored in depth.

At the same time, the nutritional status of children in the area was assessed, with anthropometric measurements recorded. This allowed the first 20 cases of severe malnutrition to be identified and treated.

In the last week of May, further training days took place in Lubumbashi and Sambwa.Specifically, practical training on meal preparation and the use of high-protein foods was held, attended not only by the Center's medical staff but also by mothers. This training is crucial to teaching how to properly use and combine different foods to care for malnourished children. Furthermore, the nutritionist held a cooking demonstration, illustrating the characteristics of the different food categories, their nutritional values, and how to combine and prepare them to prevent malnutrition.

Thanks to your support, we can continue to assist many children and families.