Question NW2501 to the Minister of Health
17 July 2023 - NW2501
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Health
In each of the past five years, (a) which provinces witnessed a rise in child malnutrition, (b) by what percentage has malnutrition risen in each province and (c) what interventions have been put in place for such provinces?
Reply:
In each of the past five years,
(a) The Department of Health monitors the incidence of severe acute malnutrition which represents the number of children under five years of age who are diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) per 1,000 children in this age group. Increases in the incidence may represent a real increase in cases or better case detection as a result of intensified case-finding and early identification and intervention.
Provincial figures for SAM incidence for the past five financial years are shown in the table below:
2018/2019 |
2019/2020 |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
2022/2023 |
|
South Africa |
1,9 |
1,9 |
1,5 |
2,0 |
2,4 |
Eastern Cape |
0,7 |
0,9 |
1,6 |
2,0 |
2,7 |
Free State |
4,9 |
5,9 |
4,2 |
5,5 |
6,4 |
Gauteng |
1,6 |
1,4 |
1,1 |
1,6 |
1,9 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
2,1 |
2,0 |
1,3 |
1,6 |
1,9 |
Limpopo |
1,2 |
1,1 |
1,5 |
2,2 |
2,9 |
Mpumalanga |
1,6 |
0,8 |
0,7 |
1,0 |
1,3 |
Northern Cape |
5,5 |
6,9 |
4,6 |
6,1 |
6,2 |
North West |
3,7 |
4,2 |
2,1 |
2,7 |
3,7 |
Western Cape |
1,7 |
1,6 |
1,0 |
1,3 |
1,5 |
The following provinces have reported an increase in the incidence of SAM over the past five years: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo and Northern Cape.
(b) The percentage increase (or decrease) in SAM incidence in each province per financial year is shown in the table below.
2018/19 |
2019/220 |
% increase |
2020/21 |
% increase |
2021/22 |
% increase |
2022/23 |
Over five year period |
|
South Africa |
1,9 |
1,9 |
0,0% |
1,5 |
-21,1% |
2,0 |
33,3% |
2,4 |
26,3% |
Eastern Cape |
0,7 |
0,9 |
27,1% |
1,6 |
79,8% |
2,0 |
25,0% |
2,7 |
285,7% |
Free State |
4,9 |
5,9 |
20,4% |
4,2 |
-28,8% |
5,5 |
31,0% |
6,4 |
30,6% |
Gauteng |
1,6 |
1,4 |
-12,5% |
1,1 |
-21,4% |
1,6 |
45,5% |
1,9 |
18,8% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
2,1 |
2,0 |
-4,8% |
1,3 |
-35,0% |
1,6 |
23,1% |
1,9 |
-9,5% |
Limpopo |
1,2 |
1,1 |
-8,3% |
1,5 |
36,4% |
2,2 |
46,7% |
2,9 |
141,7% |
Mpumalanga |
1,6 |
0,8 |
-50,6% |
0,7 |
-15,2% |
1,0 |
49,3% |
1,3 |
-18,8% |
Northern Cape |
5,5 |
6,9 |
25,5% |
4,6 |
-33,3% |
6,1 |
32,6% |
6,2 |
12,7% |
North West |
3,7 |
4,2 |
13,5% |
2,1 |
-50,0% |
2,7 |
28,6% |
3,7 |
0,0% |
Western Cape |
1,7 |
1,6 |
-5,9% |
1,0 |
-38,8% |
1,3 |
32,7% |
1,5 |
-11,8% |
(c) Interventions implemented in the past five years:
Eastern Cape |
|
Free State |
|
Gauteng |
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
|
Limpopo |
|
Mpumalanga |
|
Northern Cape |
|
North West |
|
Western Cape |
|
Cross-provincial interventions implemented |
In 2020-2022, the National Department of Health in collaboration with centre for Rural health, University of KwaZulu-Natal supported five Districts in Gauteng (City of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane) and KwaZulu-Natal (Zululand and Umzinyathi) to roll-out a pilot project to build capacity of community health workers to train mothers to screen for acute malnutrition at household level to encourage early health seeking behaviour. This project has been formally evaluated. The 2 provinces developed plans to scale up this intervention in other districts. |
|
END.