It is estimated that nearly 1.4 million children aged 6 – 59 months are suffering and will likely continue suffering from acute malnutrition in the period of June 2023 – May 2024 in Mail. This includes 313,185 cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1.1 million cases of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). In addition, 87,865 pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished and will likely continue to be malnourished and are in need of treatment.

In the current period of June – October 2023, malnutrition levels were in IPC AMN Phase 4 (Critical) in all of the areas in the Gao region and the area of Ménaka. 39 areas are in IPC AMN Phase 3 (Serious) and they include all the areas in the regions of Koulikoro, Timbuktu, Taoudénit and Kidal, the 6 communes of Bamako, 2 areas in the Sikasso region and 4 areas in the Ségou region. In IPC AMN Phase 2 (Alert) there are 15 areas including the all the areas in the regions of Mopti, 4 areas in Sikasso and 3 areas in Ségou region.

Considering that the data used in 2023 (July-August) represents a peak in the GAM compared with the data from 2022 (June-July), which represents the pre-peak of the GAM, the situation this year, 2023, remains slightly worse than in the previous year, 2022.

The main contributing factors to the acute malnutrition – primarily in the areas classified in IPC AMN Phase 3 or above – are inadequate food intake by children, both from a qualitative (dietary diversity) and quantitative (frequency of meals) point of view, food insecurity, childhood diseases such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections (ARI), malaria and measles. Non-optimal breastfeeding practices play a major role in determining acute malnutrition as well.

• Continue efforts to improve the coverage and quality of treatment for acute malnutrition in order to maintain the momentum in reducing the number of children and pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from acute malnutrition.
• Strengthen nutritional interventions at community level to improve dietary practices.
• Strengthen the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), both as a fixed-centre strategy and as an advanced strategy, in order to achieve a satisfactory improvement in immunisation coverage.
• Promote the implementation of integrated, multi-sectoral approaches in the nutritional response (EHA, food, health, social protection, etc.) to maximize impact and meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable sections of the population.
• Improve the coordination of nutrition interventions and stakeholders in districts classified in IPC AMN Phase 3 or above.
• Promote the scaling-up of simplified approaches in districts classified in phase 3 and above by strengthening the Essential Community Care (ECC) approach.
• Improve the coverage of emergency food assistance programmes for populations in Phase 3 and above of food insecurity (Harmonized Framework) while integrating adequate protection programmes for households with malnourished children (e.g. cash transfer) in order to strengthen resilience.