Rose is a nine-month-old baby from the Philippines. She lives in a bamboo house with her parents, who work as laborers but have difficulty providing for the family. They obtain water from the water district and share electricity with their neighbor.
Rose loves to play, but is very thin and has low energy. She has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens her growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, Rose will begin $268 malnutrition treatment on February 22.
Rose will be treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases.
ICM’s home-based feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM’s professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening.
“I hope my daughter will grow healthy and finish her studies,” says Rose’s mother.
