Jhapa, March 15

Around 400 children are suffering from severe malnutrition in Jhapa. Health check-up of children at five of the 15 local levels in the district showed that 179 boys and 213 girls were severely malnourished.

Jhapa ranked third in terms of malnutrition among children in the country.

Officer Kul Bahadur Poudel of Jhapa District Public Health Office said, “Saptari and Siraha ranked first and second respectively.”  According to Paudel, health check-up conducted at 30 health facilities of Shivsatashi Municipality and Kachankawal, Jhapa, Gaurigunj and Barhadashi rural municipalities found around 400 children malnourished.

Data shows that 12 per cent children were malnourished in the district before monsoon floods last year. That percentage has gone up by 21 and reached 33 per cent in the post-flood period. International standard interprets such data as alarming.

Outpatient Therapeutic Centres have been set up to diagnose and treat malnutrition cases. Sixteen OTC centres have been established in 15 local levels, said DPHO.

DPHO Chief Madhusudan Koirala said malnourished children have to be treated for 42 to 90 days with nutritious food.

As many as 147 children have been treated till date, while 245 children are undergoing treatment.

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