Prevention of malnutrition for children in South Africa

Background Malnutrition among children in South Africa is a huge issue, which are causing short- and long-term effects for the children suffering from it. In 64 percent of the cases where children die before the age of five, malnutrition is the underlying cause. Therefore there are non-governmental organizations who are doing preventive work to try to diminish malnutrition so all children have the same chance to a good childhood. Aim The aim of the study was to describe the prevention of malnutrition of children in South Africa. Method A qualitative design with semi-structured interviews with non governmental organzations was used for this study. Data was analysed by content analyse. Findings The findings show that one key intervention is nutritional education to empower people on how to best use the scares resources they have. Therefore the non governmental organizations put a lot of emphasis on educating families about nutrition. Furthermore the stigma and mistaken beliefs about breastfeeding is targeted through education, as it is of vital importance to solely breastfeed as a preventive intervention. Conclusion Early interventions are emphasized due to the importance of preventing malnutrition early in a child’s life. The link between HIV positive women and malnourished children is remarkable and the government of South Africa has promoted breastfeeding for all as a solution