Children are becoming trapped in an ongoing cycle of malnutrition and illness linked to food shortages, lapsed vaccination programs, and a lack of clean water, according to Médecins Sans Frontières.
Amid a growing food crisis, the number of malnourished children being admitted to MSF clinics in some parts of Africa has risen 150%, according to Karla Bil, MSF’s deputy medical director.
The international NGO is scrambling to open more emergency clinics to respond to the crisis, but in many cases, relapse is inevitable as food shortages continue. Malnourished children are more susceptible to other diseases — a challenge compounded by the fact that many of them missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic, Bil said.