Page 23 - DIVA_3_2009

mistaken.
problem goes well beyond as well, like health education This is an option that Save the
knowledge about proper and dietgy complements. They Children is investigating. They
MSF has indeed raised aware- have some pilot projects in this
feeding. then come up with a figure that
ness in the United States for the sense, which seem to be
is ten times higherl
problem of malnutrition; not at promising.
Q: Such as?
the US congress though, but
Q: Rather than spending
duig a conference co-organi- hi the end, what it means is that,
Proper nutritional intake. aThis US$750 million or LIS$I
sed with the Columbia if you have stnictiu'al problems
means that those who are really billion to buy Plumpy'Nut,
University in New York. To be and sttuctural causes, you must
sick, the malnourished child- don't you think that these
clear though, we are notpromo- have stnictural answers.
ren, are going to need therapeu- same funds could be used
ting Plumpy-Nut, but the WHO Development programmes
tic food. Ideally, the diets of all in a better way to combat
recommended community- need to be put in place. At the
those children in all those coun- malnutrition?
based strategy for treating seve- same time you cannot accept
tries where there are nutritional
re acute malnutrition. that 3 to 5 million cMdren die
deficiencies need to be comple- Behind the problem of
mented. How to do this is, of malnutrition there are several every year. You are facedwith a
If you take the figures I have medical emergency here, and
course, remains a big question. causes. 'kn particular, there are
given you earlier to treat one you must conduct the two
A lot of work is being done acute crises-war,
child-i.e. US$40/60, that is approaches - development and
about this at the moment. Then displacement, etc. If we
the treatment itself, plus logis- humanitarian aid - in parallel.
we are no longer talking about encounter malnutrition in a
tics, plus consultations, etc. -
treating the children but rather politically stable county, tbis
you can simply multiply that by
about prevention. indicates profound shuctural
the number of severely malnou- problems. For example, it has
rished children. Studies indica-
Q: I know that MSF is been identified in Niger that,
te that there are some 20
doing a lot of lobbying in although there was food
million severely malnourished available on the market, people
the United States
children in the world. If you did not have the money to buy
Congress about this
want to treat these children, the
issue, and in particular for it. It is as simple as that!
final figure comes close to
Plumpy'Nut. I have heard

US$1 billion. The World Bank
the figure of something Instead of giving food products
is working on the figures to tac- you can, of course, give money
close to US$750 million
kle malnut'tion and they are
mentioned, if I'm not to the population to buy food.
including many more activities
UNIQA, the right plan to fit your needs
Your best interest is our top priority
We don't make you fit the policy; we find the policy that fits you

international tlealttl ana aCClaen[ lnSuranCe

UNIQA Assurances SA
Rue des Eaux Vives 94
fflfflb' CP 6402
CH-1211 GENEVA 6
UNIQA Tel +41 22 718 63 63
+41 22 718 63 00
Fpx

contact@uniqa.ch
The insurance of
www.uniqa.ch www.uniqagroup.com
a new generation.

3 2009 Diva 21

wwwdivainternationalch