Nonprofit organization
Action Network Against Malnutrition
Nonprofit organization
Action Network Against Malnutrition
Research Survey (Mother MUAC Study)
We conducted a "Mother MUAC Survey" in two townships in Rakhine State in northern Myanmar. MUAC stands for Mid-Upper Arm Circumference, a measurement method for detecting acute malnutrition from the circumference of a child's upper arm. In Myanmar, community health workers (volunteers) screen for MUAC and refer malnourished children found to the nearest health center for treatment and recovery programs, but this is not working very well in reality. Therefore, we conducted a demonstration survey to aim to improve the early detection and coverage rate of acutely malnourished children by having mothers do this. This initiative will be particularly noteworthy in the future as COVID spreads.
Although activities were forced to be temporarily suspended or scaled down due to the effects of COVID-19, surveys were conducted in 11 villages in Rakhine State, and after conducting nutritional surveys of approximately 300 children, training was provided to mothers on how to use the MUAC tape, the meaning of its measurement, and malnutrition. The results showed that with simple training, mothers are able to use the MUAC tape to assess their nutritional status with great accuracy. It is hoped that the survey will be resumed on a larger scale once the spread of COVID-19 and the security situation in the country have improved.