A total of 791 children with acute and severe acute

malnutrition have been effectively treated with therapeutic

nutrition commodities in 2012.
Additional 2,059 moderately malnourished children
received take home supplementary feeding rations in
2013.In the districts mostly affected by the food
emergency, a total of 343 community health workers and
nutrition service providers (103 in 2012; 240 in 2013) have
been trained in identifying acute malnutrition and referring
to relevant health facilities.
Regarding the nutrition situation of children, the average
underweight in all ten districts was 10% of 92,107 under
five children being weighed. The overall prevalence of low
birth weight is 9% out of 4,012 reported births.
Needs:
It is anticipated that approximately 8,640 children (4%
acute malnutrition and 1% severe acute malnutrition)
require therapeutic nutrition through ITP (inpatient care)
and OTP (outpatient care) through the Integrated
Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM). Through the
proposed UNICEF intervention approx. 4,350 acutely
malnourished children could be reached with therapeutic
nutrition commodities.
Response:
Strengthening of the IMAM programme and provision of
therapeutic nutrition supplies in all health facilities. This
will be achieved through capacity building of nutrition
service providers both at district and community levels.
These cadres will also be trained on screening, referral
and follow-up of malnutrition cases. A community social

mobilization programme for improved hygiene practices in

all target communities is being developed. In addition,
multimedia products will be developed to raise awareness
on appropriate nutrition and improved hygiene practices.
Anthropometricdatawereobtainedon738childrenaged659
months.Theprevalenceofunderweight,stunting,andwasting
wasrespectively15.6%.
Despitetheoverlapping95%confidenceintervalfroma
statisticalpointofview,thenutritionalstatusofgirlswasbetter
thanthatofboysinabsolutetermsacrossalldistricts.

Levelsofunderweightamongchildrenunder5yearsofagein
Lesothoarehigh,rangingfrom18to20%foryears2000and
2004respectively.Levelsofstuntingduringthesameperiodare
evenhigherrangingfrom21to38%.
InLesothothepercentageofinfantswithlowbirthweightwas
intherangeof1114%foryears20002006.
Withregardstobreastfeeding,datashowthatexclusiveBreast
feedingisnotcommonwithonly36.4%ofchildrenlessthan6
monthsexclusivelybreastfed.
Also,complementedbreastfeeding,withotherfoods,isreported
among24.2%ofchildrenlessthan6monthsofageand
continuedbreastfeedingbetween69monthsisreportedamong
only6.3%ofchildren.
Atthemomenttherearetwoactivehealthrelatedprojectsin
LesothowithatotalinvestmentofUS$11.5millionThe
HealthSectorReformProjectPhase2andtheHIVand
AIDSCapacityBuildingandTechnicalAssistanceProject.
Neitherincludesasubstantivenutritioncomponent.
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NUTRITION/Reso
urces/LesothoNutrition.pdf

http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1222&context=jephc
http://www.unicef.org/appeals/files/UNICEF_Lesotho
_MidYear_SitRep_JanJul2013.pdf