Manafwa, Uganda — Health officials in Manafwa district have reported an escalation of food insecurity, poverty and cases of malnutrition among the marginalized groups during the time of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Dr Emma Gahima, the in-charge of Bugobero health center IV and Manafwa district nutrition focal person says that the health facility has received an average of 5 cases of malnourished children aged between zero and five and people living with HIV/AIDS in the weeks after the lockdown restrictions were eased.
Gahima adds that he has also received several alerts from village health teams about children who are suffering from malnutrition and have no means of moving to the health facility due to lack of transport.
Gahima also told Uganda Radio network that the malnutrition clinic that ran every week to support the malnourished patients with food was closed because the staff who were operating it were unable to reach the facility.
Robert Wekesa, a Village Health Team Worker says that many malnourished children are stuck in the villages over lack of transport since their parents are unable to move from the villages to the health facilities and that many of them end up dying.
