IDPs (ACF) - PFEDA / Page d'accueil PFEDA

vulnerable to malnutrition. It would be interesting to pursue this theory further in the
future by performing a further Nutritional Survey on the town population of Mogadishu.
The last major Nutritional Survey to cover the IDPs (see Annex 10) was completed
almost exactly 5 years ago between the 7 th and 20 th June 1995 (performed by ACF). The
Global Acute Malnutrition rate (in Z scores) was 26.3% (CI: 22.3% - 30.8%). The Severe
Acute Malnutrition rate (in Z scores) was 5.4% (CI: 3.5% - 8.1%). Although there has
been a significant drop since this time (13.4% drop in Global Acute Malnutrition and
3.4% in Severe Acute Malnutrition), there still remains a considerable problem.
There is agreement between different agencies working in Somalia (Nutrition Working
Group, 1999, ‘Nutrition Survey – Recommendations for Somalia’, Nairobi) that a MUAC
of less than 125mm is equivalent to Global Acute Malnutrition. In this Nutrition Survey
145 children (16.1%) were found with a MUAC of less than 125mm. Only 62 (42%) of
these 145 children had in addition a corresponding weight for height score of less than 2
Z scores. It would appear that using the MUAC of less than 125mm as a criterion of
Global Acute Malnutrition is:
- In this sample raising the overall Global Acute Malnutrition Rate by 24.8%
- Corresponds on an individual basis with the Statistically correct Z scores only
42% of the time.
Vaccination Coverage
The correct vaccination coverage for measles is low. This is the normal situation at the
moment in Somalia. Yet at the same time, the coverage appears to be particularly when
account is take of the fact that ACF have been conducting an ongoing measles
vaccination campaign (see Annex 2) which would indicate a far greater % of the
population has been properly vaccinated than the survey indicates. It is interesting that a
larger number of people said that there child had been vaccinated but were unable to
produce the vaccination card. No firm explanation can be offered for this difference.
5 years ago, in June 1995, the confirmed vaccination coverage for measles was 39.8%. It
now stands at 10%. This is a massive reduction in confirmed coverage, and highlights the
difficulties in undertaking vaccination activities in the context of Mogadishu. At the same
time it has to be considered a weakness of the ACF vaccination team.
Length of time displaced
97.1% of the IDPs have now spent at least one year in Mogadishu. This does not
correspond at all with the figures for the population influxes that ACF Health Education
team collects each month (see Annex 2), which would indicate a much higher influx of
new IDPs into the city over the last 12 months (around 10% of the population). The
conflicting nature of these results would suggest that there is a need to review how this
information is being collected on the ground.
26