More than 1,400 SA children die of hunger in two years

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has revealed that more than 1,400 children have died of acute malnutrition in the past two years in SA.

Motsoaledi was responding to a question by DA spokesperson for health Michéle Clarke on the number of children who have died in public health facilities in each province since January 1 2023. 

“As part of efforts to reduce deaths in young children, the department of health monitors the number of deaths in children under five years of age in all public health facilities,” Motsoaledi said in a written response.

“Aggregated data on common causes of death in children under five years of age (diarrhoea and pneumonia), as well as data on underlying causes such as severe and moderate acute malnutrition, are collected routinely through the district health information system,”  he said.

Motsoaledi’s reply said that 304 children died of moderate acute malnutrition and 1,153 of severe acute malnutrition since January 1 2023.

KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng were the most affected between January 1 2023 and November 8 this year, according to health department data.

In 2023, a response to a DA question revealed 12,582 children had died from severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition in the decade since 2013.

“It is clear that urgent intervention is needed and that the department of health must strengthen its links with community outreach programmes to reach and assist as many acutely malnourished children as possible to prevent further complications,” Clarke said.

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