These are the words of Laura, a member of our staff who recently traveled to Mwandi, a very remote and impoverished region of Zambia. It was here that she met baby Ing’utu.
Ing’utu was five months old at the time, but she was barely five pounds. To put that into perspective, an average five-month-old baby weighs 15 pounds.
Though her big brown eyes were open and aware, her tiny body was emaciated. Her skin was wrinkled with dehydration and her breathing labored. She was starving. – Laura, CMMB staff
Ing’utu’s mother, Shila, didn’t realize the severity of her baby girl’s condition – or how urgently she needed help.
Shiela Kahundu Mukuwa with her baby Innutu in her village in Mwandi, Zambia.
The team brought Ing’utu and her mother to Mwandi Mission Hospital – the nearest hospital in the area, more than 45 minutes away by car. And so began the long journey of recovery from malnutrition. We were able to save her life with the support of compassionate friends like you.
Baby Innutu being treated for severe malnutrition at Mwandi Mission Hospital, Zambia.
In poor communities, almost half of all child deaths are caused by malnutrition. While it seems hard to believe, Ing’utu was actually one of the blessed ones. But what about all the other babies and children who are dying from malnutrition?
You can help children suuffering from malnutrition by providing access to medicines and nutritional supplements.