Medical & Specialist Nutrition

The number of children receiving treatment for the most dangerous form of malnutrition in Baidoa, south central Somalia, nearly tripled in six months, according to new figures from Save the Children’s stabilization centre in the region, warning over the country’s worsening drought and hunger crisis.

After 1,000 days of war, children in Gaza said they had lost homes, schools and a sense of safety but not their hopes for the future with even the ongoing violence failing to stop them from dreaming of peace and careers to help them rebuild their communities.

The King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and Save the Children Jordan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance mental health and psychosocial support services for children with cancer from Gaza who are receiving treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), as well as their caregivers.

For nearly two decades, Ajoba* has stood at the frontlines of care in Abyei, quietly protecting generations of children from deadly but preventable diseases.A vaccinator for over 19 years with the State Ministry of Health, and now working with Save the Children, Ajoba has dedicated her life to one simple but powerful mission: keeping every child and mother safe through vaccination and health care.

At just 10 months old, Abraham* arrived at the clinic barely holding on, weak, underweight, and struggling to breathe after days of illness that turned into pneumonia.

The conflict in the Middle East and wider region is obstructing key delivery routes for humanitarian supplies, delaying lifesaving medical shipments for at least 410,000 children in three countries, said Save the Children, warning the global impact will only grow.

The first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan state in nearly three years will restore lifesaving immunisation services to children and communities cut off from essential supplies due to conflict and siege.

The MAMI approach addresses gaps in child nutrition services, managing malnutrition risks in children under 6 months and their mothers, and integrating into health systems. Community nutritional screening was conducted to identify and treat acute malnutrition. Additionally, safeguarding sessions were held with the community, where participants demonstrated understanding of protection against exploitation and abuse, and the importance of treating everyone with dignity. Save the Children's complaint mechanisms were also explained, including safe and confidential channels for reporting incidents, with priority given to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases.

More than four in 10 (43%) pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking treatment at Save the Children’s clinics in Gaza in July were malnourished, said Save the Children.

Junior was born with low birth weight (2400g) to a vulnerable teenage mother who soon developed mastitis, severely impacting breastfeeding and causing Junior's weight to drop to 2100g. After a community health worker's intervention led to their enrollment in a MAMI pathway at a local health center, Junior was eventually referred and admitted to Metuge District Hospital for severe acute malnutrition, receiving F-100 treatment and comprehensive care for seven days. Following discharge, he continued monitoring at a MAMI space with ongoing nutritional and breastfeeding support, while his mother participated in support sessions. The family, initially believing Junior wouldn't survive due to cultural beliefs, witnessed his full recovery, transforming his grandmother into a community health volunteer, highlighting the success of health education, community support, and nutrition interventions.