Assessment of a take home child supplementary feeding programme in a high density suburb of Mutare City, Zimbabwe.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of a child supplementary feeding programme.


METHODS
Mutare City Health Department has a long existing, ongoing supplementary feeding programme for undernourished children. We assessed the programme in Sakubva, Mutare's oldest, largest, poorest and most densely populated high density suburb. During the time of assessment, after the 1994/95 poor rainy season, levels of undernutrition were more that double the normal levels.


METHODS
Analysis of clinic records. Results are illustrated with findings from students on attachment who studied underlying causes of undernutrition.


METHODS
The supplementary feeding programme is a health service to underweight children who attend our clinics. Assessment of the programme was done on all children that regularly made use of this service between July 1995 and May 1996 in Sakubva (n = 190).


RESULTS
The child supplementary feeding programme does make an impact as 83% of the children attending regularly, improve. The impact of a child supplementary feeding programme in terms of growth development in undernourished children depends on the underlying chronic diseases that the children are presenting.


CONCLUSIONS
Referral of children that do not improve for check up and treatment is urgent and should be a routine procedure in Well Baby Clinics. In an environment of poverty and poor weaning practices, often aggravated by underlying illnesses, a child supplementary feeding programme can improve growth in undernourished children, within the limitations of its coverage.
Bijlsma
M
M
Mutare City Health Department, Zimbabwe.
McClean
D
D
D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D015030:Zimbabwe