An estimated 1.67 million children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition in Chad

Overview

In 2022, it is estimated that around 1.67 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition, including around 335,000 severe cases in the areas analysed. For the purposes of the analysis, a total of five provinces and 52 departments in Chad were analysed.

Between October and December 2021, a slight decrease in cases of acute malnutrition is estimated when compared with the last IPC analysis for the same period in 2020, with two provinces and 16 departments classified as Serious (IPC Phase 3) as well as two provinces and 11 departments classified as Critical (IPC Phase 4).

This precarious nutritional situation is the result of a combination of several aggravating factors, such as inadequate food intake, poor infant and young child feeding practices, a high prevalence of childhood diseases, lack of access to healthcare, an increase in the frequency of measles outbreaks, low measles vaccination coverage, low vitamin A supplementation coverage, poor hygiene conditions, low coverage of access to drinking water, and low coverage of nutritional and health interventions. Other contributing factors include ongoing conflict and insecurity, acute food insecurity in some provinces, and the consequences of climate change (flooding, drought, poor rainfall distribution).

During the first projection period between January and May 2022, the nutritional situation will likely not improve. Even though food availability remains acceptable in most provinces, several factors unrelated to food security outlined above continue to act as drivers of acute malnutrition. During this period, three provinces and 17 departments are projected to be in a Serious situation (IPC Phase 3) and two provinces and 12 departments are projected to be in a Critical situation (IPC Phase 4). For the second projection period from June to September 2022, which corresponds to the peak period for malnutrition, a marked deterioration in the nutritional situation is expected, with two provinces and 17 departments projected to be in a Serious situation and three provinces and 12 departments in a Critical situation. The severity of the nutritional situation during this period is likely to be similar to that observed in 2020, except for the slight improvement in the Lac province.

In order to mitigate the consequences of this critical nutritional situation, urgent and coordinated actions are necessary.

An estimated 1.67 million children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition in Chad
Source: Philippines Legacy PH