After a successful child nutrition screening at a chapel in Maputo, Mozambique, in June, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is working to continue its efforts to help children under the age of 5 in the southern African country.
Local leaders of the Church’s stakes in Maputo, Matola and Beira are being equipped with the training and resources needed to conduct future screenings, organize nutrition education activities and collaborate with healthcare providers in their communities.
The screening on June 27 was part of the Church’s caring for women and children global initiative, led by the Relief Society. The child nutrition portion of the initiative is designed to help prevent and address malnutrition among children under the age of 5 through screenings, caregiver education, treatment referrals and family-centered support.
Malnutrition is a public-health challenge in Mozambique, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom. Approximately one in three children under the age of 5 are affected by stunting, and malnutrition can have long-term impacts on physical growth, cognitive development, immune system and future opportunities. Church members are not immune to these challenges.
“Healthy nutrition is essential to proper brain, body and immune system development, especially during the earliest years of life. When children receive proper nutrition, they are better prepared to grow, learn and contribute to their communities,” said Phillip Moatlhodi, the Welfare and Self-Reliance manager in the Church’s Africa South Area.
The Maputo screening event brought together local Church leaders, self-reliance committees, volunteers and healthcare professionals. Children under 5 years old were measured for signs of acute and chronic malnutrition and received nutritional assessments.
In addition to screening activities, parents and caregivers also received practical instruction for child nutrition and healthy feeding practices, growth monitoring and follow-up care and building more self-reliant households.
The initiative — in the Africa South Area and in other areas of the Church around the world — is coordinated through the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance program in collaboration with local priesthood leaders, explained Africa Newsroom. Self-reliance committees, together with ministering brothers and sisters serving under local priesthood direction, will continue following up with families after the screening event.
