Tema General Hospital records 11 ‘Kwashiokor’ deaths in 2023

The Tema General Hospital, serving as the primary referral health facility in Tema and its surroundings, documented 11 deaths among children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), commonly known as Kwashiokor, throughout 2023, according to a report by GNA.

Ms. Joyce Asare Kissi, the Head of the Nutrition Unit at the hospital, revealed this information in a recent interview, specifying

Read full articlethat the deaths included both in-patient cases and those discharged children who passed away shortly thereafter.

These cases, amounting to 11, were referrals from various facilities requiring advanced care. The affected areas included Tema Newtown, Kpone-Katamanso, Ashaiman Township, Ashaiman-Jericho, Dawhenya, and Tema Communities 25 and 22, with three cases each from Tema Newtown and Kpone-Katamanso.

Despite efforts, Kwashiokor remains a significant health challenge among children aged zero to five, often linked to spiritual and cultural beliefs, resulting in delayed medical intervention until the condition worsens and additional complications arise.

Ms. Kissi emphasised the importance of parents and caregivers spending time with their children and providing them with nutritionally balanced meals to prevent Kwashiokor and ensure overall good health. Succumbing to this disease increases the risk of other childhood illnesses, potentially leading to fatal outcomes.

The nutritionist urged parents managing Kwashiokor cases at home with therapeutic milk or Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to strictly follow the instructions provided by nutritionists to prevent relapses, complications, and, ultimately, death.