Mauritania
Start of program: 2019
Country key figures:
- 4,71 million inhabitants¹
- 55,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition²
ALIMA key figures:
- 47,141 people trained to use the MUAC bracelets
- 2,567 children under five treated for severe acute malnutrition at ATFCs
Areas of intervention:
- Conflicts and population displacement
- Maternal health
Humanitarian context
In 2022, Mauritania, like other Sahelian neighboring countries, suffered from a deteriorating food and nutrition situation: 472,275 people, 13.3% of the population, suffered from food insecurity during the year.
In October 2022, Mauritania hosted 89,000 refugees, the majority of whom live in the Mbera camp located 50 km from the border with Mali. In the Brakna province, the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition was 2.9%, and the prevalence of global acute malnutrition was 16.4%³ . In the sub-provinces of Boghé, Mbagne and Bababé, the prevalence of global acute malnutrition rose to 21.8%, and the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition was 3.4%.
ALIMA’s impact on the ground
Treating severe acute malnutrition
ALIMA’s medical and nutritional programs focus on providing care to children under five, mainly for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. In 2022, a total of 2,567 children under five were admitted for treatment at the 91 ATFCs supported by ALIMA in the Brakna province, with a recovery rate of over 95%. Within the framework of this intervention, and as part of the malnutrition screening strategy, ALIMA implemented the MUAC for Mothers approach, which consists of training mothers and families to detect malnutrition in their children with a tricolored bracelet. In the three Moughataas (sub-province) of Boghé, Bababé and Mbagne, the teams trained 47,141 people.
COVID-19 vaccination
In 2022, as part of the response to COVID-19, ALIMA continued to support the Ministry of Health through a project to help vaccinate the most at-risk communities. Over 125,009 people were vaccinated in the two targeted Wilayas (provinces) of Brakna and Hodh Ech Chargui in Bassikounou.
* Cover picture © Mohammed Youness / ALIMA
¹ World Bank 2022
² United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) 2020
³ SMART (Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions) survey, 2022
