Health and Nutrition
What we want to do:
We want all children in Mauritania to enjoy good health. We are working towards this by:
- Increasing the number of children who are protected from disease
- Increasing the number of children who are well nourished
- Ensuring children and their caregivers have access to essential health services
What is the problem?
Limited access to-and ability to pay for-quality health services coupled with erroneous cultural and religious beliefs and/or lack of knowledge with regard to birth spacing, breastfeeding and appropriate feeding practices for young children put many children in Mauritania at risk of malnutrition and preventable diseases. This already difficult panorama children face has been made more complex in recent years by drought and conflict.
How is World Vision addressing the issues?
We are working with communities, families and health posts to make sure children are vaccinated and receiving the appropriate and timely care they need when they fall ill. By equipping community leaders and parents with the knowledge and the tools to keep their children healthy and monitoring their growth/health, we are ensuring children receive appropriate preventive care and timely interventions so that no child is lost to preventable causes.
Is what World Vision doing working?
Yes! Although there is more work to do, more children are receiving appropriate medical treatment after being sick with diarrhea 34% in 2017 compared to 27% the previous year.
What’s the impact?*
- 32 mobile and outreach vaccination provided vaccines for17,541 children under 1
- 7,881 pregnant women received counseling on how to best care for themselves and their children
- 2 health posts rehabilitated with medical equipment
*Numbers from 2016 and 2017
Related Resources
- Read how World Vision programmes are helping children, like Taotou, recover from malnutrition.
- Learn how our programmes are equipping communities to provide better health care for pregnant women, mothers and young children.