Managing Malnutrition : Tourningal Keeps Up Pioneering, Leading Role

With a population of 22,065 people - second only to Belel Integrated Health Centre that caters for 27,000 people – Tourningal Integrated Health Centre is in several respects a leader in Ngaoundere Rural Health District. Located in northern Cameroon’s Adamawa Region, Tourningal village is 60 km from Ngaoundere, the regional headquarters. 
“Our health centre was the first in the area to begin caring for cases of malnutrition about 10 years ago,” recalls Pabame Andre, head of the State-owned health facility. “Ever since, tremendous reductions have been noticed in the number of Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM cases, especially with the administration of Plumpy Nuts,” Pabame added. He was briefing a group of visiting journalists in the centre on September 6, 2019.
Assisted by 17 Community Health Volunteers – all trained to detect malnutrition, and who regularly visit pregnant and nursing mothers at home - Tourningal Integrated Health Centre in September 2019 has only 10 SAM cases. On the other hand, pap enrichment demonstrations at home were introduced in Tourningal in March 2019.  “The target is babies aged 6 to 23 months who underwent exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life,” said Pabame. 
“Nursing mothers used to offer their children maize pap enriched only with fresh cow milk. But now, habits are changing as the women serve “five-star” or enriched pap to their babies,&rdquo...