En fältstudie om undernäring hos barn i Uganda

Abstract: Background: Malnutrition is a major, global health problem. Children are particularly vulnerable since adequate nutrition is essential to ensure healthy growth and development. Africa is severely affected and in Uganda are 2.3 million children under the age of five chronically malnourished. The shortage of health care professionals and lack of access to health care services makes the situation even worse. Aim: To illuminate the health care of malnourished children in Uganda. Method: Qualitative method with an ethnographical design. Data has been collected through unstructured observations, conversations with health care professionals and parents, as well as guidelines and documents used at the MNU, Mulago Hospital. Results: The WHO Child Growth Standards, MUAC tape and clinical examination of bilateral edema, were used to determine the nature and severity of malnutrition. The treatment given at the MNU consisted of therapeutic milk and RUTF. The parents had an important role and were responsible for the care of their child. The health care professionals worked preventively by strengthening parents’ knowledge of malnutrition. Parents were given advice and instructions regarding nutrition, the importance of basic hygiene and how to avoid transmission of infectious diseases. Preventive actions were also conducted as community outreach, which aimed to improve the health of the population in rural areas. Conclusion: There are several causes of malnutrition and it is a complex phenomenon with different affecting factors. The study reveals the importance of parents as caretakers. Lack of financial resources and education were major risk factors and affected children’s health. Many parents could not afford to buy medications to their children and sought medical care too late. The importance of information and its contribution to improved living conditions was obvious. By reaching out to people with poor access to health care facilities, important actions were performed in the struggle of preventing malnutrition.