Uganda’s Efforts to Save the Life of Children with Malnutrition

Over 268,000 children in Uganda suffer from malnutrition, specifically wasting. To combat this, the country is enhancing data collection and use in its healthcare facilities and communities through the Nutrition Information System (NIS) project. This is part of the country’s broader efforts to generate community-level data to inform decisions for improving population health.

The European Union funded the 4-year NIS project, implemented since 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the Ministry of Health nutrition division and the district local government. This project targets Kyegegwa, Kamwenge, Yumbe, and Koboko districts.

The NIS project has significantly improved the management of malnutrition through the provision of data collection tools, and data interpretation to enhance early detection of malnutrition. For example, Noela Nyirabashage, a mother from Kamwenge District, credits the project for saving her child’s life. “When my child was six months old, a Community Health Worker visited us at home to conduct tests. They measured my son’s arms and discovered severe acute malnutrition,” she recalls. “We were immediately referred to the health facility for treatment.”

Through the NIS project, there has been significant improvement in data for nutrition programming at the national and district levels. Districts can now use data to plan for nutrition supplies, medicines, and equipment based on the trend in the number of malnutrition cases seen. This has contributed to the improvement of nutrition indicators. Between 2016 and 2022, stunting decreased from 29 to 26%, wasting decreased from 4% to 2.9%, and overweight decreased from 4% to 2.8%.

Moreover, the NIS project has catalyzed significant improvements in patient care in the Tooro and West Nile regions. In Kyegegwa District in the Tooro region, improved data usage has led to a 94% cure rate among children under five treated for severe acute malnutrition, according to a recent Nutrition Service Quality Assessment (NSQA) report. In Yumbe District (West Nile Region), despite the challenges of hosting a large refugee population, the district has seen substantial improvements under the NIS project.

 Mr. Ojjo Zubeir, Yumbe District Health Officer, highlights the project’s impact: “The NIS project has given us a clearer picture of our nutrition challenges. We are now better equipped to plan interventions and allocate resources where they are most needed.”

Families, too, have expressed profound gratitude. Noela notes, “Since the doctor started following my son in the health facility, his appetite has improved, he eats better, and he has more energy.”

Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, WHO Representative to Uganda, emphasizes the importance of the NIS project in enhancing integrated health information systems. “It demonstrates how data-driven approaches lead to better healthcare delivery, ultimately improving patient lives,” he explains. Sustaining these results requires ongoing government investment and continuous support from partners.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – Uganda.