Since 2012 Prime Foundation is providing nutrition support services (CMAM) with sponsorship of World Food Program (WFP) in 10 Union Councils of district D.I. Khan. The aim of these services is to reduce the diseases and deaths due to poor nutrition among pregnant women, mothers, and children below five years of age.
On 1st October 2015, a seven months old girl named Khushboo was brought to one of Prime Foundation’s nutrition center. Khushboo’s father Fiaz, belongs to village Diyal Bhatta and works as a laborer at a brick kiln.
During Khushboo’s checkup Ms. Parveen (Nutrition Assistant, Prime Foundation) told that when she assessed Khushboo, who was brought to the center by her mother, she was found to be severely malnourished. Upon questioning, her mother mentioned that Khushboo had gone through repeated episodes of diarrhea and vomiting in the past month. Thus she was registered in the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP).
The SFP Attendant at the center, Ms. Beenish, educated the mother of the child on complementary feeding practices and asked her to bring the child regularly for follow-up visits.
After a month of regular follow-ups when we asked Sumaira for feedback on her child’s health she said “In the start when I brought Khushboo for checkup she was quite weak and lethargic. She used to cry all the time and routinely got diarrhea and vomiting. But now her health has improved considerably. She is active and remains in good mood and this is because of the instructions provided by Prime Foundation’s team.”
On 12th November, 2015, Khushboo was shifted to the next level of treatment (SFP Program) where her nutritional status will be further improved through the provision of Supplementary food (Acha Mum) along with counseling of the mother on young child feeding practices.
Khushboo represents only of the thousands of children in DI Khan, who have benefited from Prime Foundation’s nutrition intervention, with support from WFP.
