Gauteng health MEC Mahlangu reveals more than 100 hunger deaths
Severe malnutrition killed more than 100 people in Gauteng in the past year‚ says health MEC Qedani Mahlangu. Mahlangu said this in presenting the department’s 2015-16 annual report to the health portfolio committee and members of the public in Orange Farm on Friday. According to Mahlangu‚ about 3,040 new cases of severe acute malnutrition were identified in the review period. Of those, about 1,512 children were admitted at different facilities and there were 113 deaths attributed to severe acute malnutrition. Once malnutrition is at acute stage there is high mortality‚ Mahlangu said. It was extremely important to detect it at earlier stages. Vulnerable children with suspected moderate or severe malnutrition are identified at primary health centres and referred to hospitals for final diagnosis, using a World Health Organisation classification protocol‚ and treated. "In our effort to fight the scourge of malnutrition‚ we will make sure that children do not reach hospitals very late w...
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