This bulletin compiles the results from 14 surveys carried out in rural woredas of Ethiopia between June and September 06. An additional 8 surveys were conducted in the refugee camps of Ethiopia. Summary results for rural Ethiopia are presented in the graph below.
SNNP REGION
WOLAYITA ZONE
Offa and Damot Weyde Woredas
Two surveys were conducted in Wolayita zone, one in Offa and one in Damot Weyde, as part of the regular monitoring of Concern project areas. The SMART method was used for the planning phase, resulting in sampling 40 clusters of 20 children for anthro-pometry and 40 clusters of 12 households for mortality.
Nutrition: The prevalence of global acute malnutrition was estimated at 3.6% and 3.8% with 0.2% and 0.1% severe malnutrition in Offa and Damot Weyde respectively. Severe malnutrition consisted solely of kwashiorkor, no marasmus were recorded.
Health: The crude mortality rate was 0.14 and 0.39 deaths/10,000/day in Offa and Damot Weyde respectively. The under-five mortality rate was 0.47 and 0.69 deaths/10,000/day in Offa and Damot Weyde respectively, below the average for developing countries of 1 deaths/10,000/day. Causes of death in both adults and children were related to malaria. In these 2 woredas malaria occurs throughout the year with 2 seasonal peaks (Feb.-April and Oct.-Nov.)
Food Security: Most of the population of Offa and Damot Weyde lives in the Wolayita Maize and Root Crop Livelihood Zone, which is described as chronically food insecure, the severity of which varies from year to year. Food access is highly seasonal depending on rainfall patterns and crop production. Even in a year with relatively good crop production the area receives food aid. The hunger gap usually occurs from February, when the main harvest from October-November is exhausted, until June, when the first green crop is harvested. It was reported that the 05 meher harvest was good while harvesting of belg crops (green maize, beans, sweet potatoes, teff and sorghum) had started in early June. The belg harvest was also expected to be good due to adequate belg rains- except in some lowlands kebeles affected either by flash floods in March or lack of rains. The livestock was reported to be in a good condition due to adequate pasture and water availability.
Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was low in both woredas, reflecting a satisfactory nutrition and food security situation, and was typical for this time of the year. Historical data from SC-UK NSPindicated a baseline prevalence of malnutrition of 4.5-6.5% for the late Belg (June-August) in Wolayita. When compared to the last surveys conducted in December 05, the post-harvest season, with 4.7% GAM (CI: 7.3-13.1%) in Offa and 4.0% GAM (CI: 2.5-6.4%) in Damot Weyde, there was no significant difference in the malnutrition rates.
Trend analysis: A total of 16 surveys had been conducted over the past 6 years in Damot Weyde woreda with GAM ranging from 3 to 10%. The NSP baseline ranges for East Wolayita by season (reference year 1996) are 4.9-6.8% for post-harvest (PH=Dec.-Feb.), 4.8-6.7% for early belg (EB=March-May), 4.7-6.5% for late belg (LB=June-Aug.) and 4.4-6.3% for kremt (K=Sept.-Nov.), and were plotted on graph 1 to allow comparison. The nutrition situation in Damot Weyde since 2000 was overall similar to the NSP baseline, except for the early belg season for 2003 and 2005 where it was above the NSP reference values. Damot Weyde benefited from food aid and Productive Safety Net Programme over the years under study, as shown in graph 2.
In Offa woreda a total of 9 surveys had been conducted over the past 4 years, with GAM ranging from 4 to 19%. The NSP baseline ranges for West Wolayita by season (reference year 1996) are 4.2-6.0% for post-harvest (PH=Dec.-Feb.), 5.4-7.4% for early belg (EB=March-May), 4.5-6.4% for late belg (LB=June-Aug.) and 6.6-8.7% for kremt (K=Sept.-Nov.), and were plotted on graph 3 to allow comparison. Food aid and Productive Safety Net Programme data by year are presented on graph 4.
Note: the NSF reference year refers to the year with the lowest prevalence of malnutrition amongst the years where the population received below average amounts of relief. This means that NSP baseline indicate the prevalence of malnutrition in a population which has received some food assistance.
SIDAMA ZONE
Dale and Aleta Wondo Woredas
Two surveys were conducted by ACF in 2 different livelihood zones across these woredas, one in the Coffee Livelihood Zone and one in the Maize Livelihood Zone. The SMARTmethodology was used for the planning phase, resulting in sampling 30 clusters of 17 children for anthro-pometry and 30 clusters of 17 households for mortality.
Nutrition: The prevalence of global acute malnutrition in the Coffee LZ was estimated at 16.5% with 3.1% severe malnutrition and 1% kwashiorkor while it was estimated at 7.6% in the Maize LZ with 0.2% of severe malnutrition and no cases of kwa-shiorkor. There was a statistically significant difference in the malnutrition rates between the 2 livelihood zones, with a significantly higher prevalence of malnutrition in the Coffee LZ. No baseline data were available for these 2 livelihood zones. However, previous surveys were conducted in Dale woreda in December 05 and April 05 with global acute malnutrition of 5.3% (CI: 3.5-7.9%) and 16.0% (CI: 12.8-19.6%) respectively.
Health: The crude and under-five mortality rates were 0.20 and 0.19 deaths/10,000/day in the Coffee LZ and 0.16 and 0.57 deaths/10,000/day in the Maize LZ. CMR and U5MR were below the alert thresholds of 1 and 2 deaths/10,000/day respectively. Retrospective morbidity in children over the past 2 weeks was estimated at 20% in both zones with diarrhea and fever being cited as the main causes of morbidity. BCG coverage was estimated at 56% in the Coffee LZ and 61% in the Maize LZ. Estimated measles vaccination coverage (by card and recall) was 94% in the Coffee LZ and 98% in the Maize LZ while vitamin Asupplemen-tation was 89% and 91% respectively.
Food Security: Around 43% and 60% of the population of Dale and Aleta Wondo respectively live in the Sidama Coffee Livelihood Zone while 27% of the populations of Dale and of Aleta Wondo live in the Sidama Maize Belt Livelihood Zone. The Coffee LZ covers the midland areas and is described as relatively food secure despite huge disparities between wealth groups, especially in terms of land holding. There was little food aid even in a year such as 2003-4, when coffee production and prices were low and maize prices were high due to drought in neighboring areas. The Maize LZ covers the lowland areas and is described as food insecure due to population growth, declining landholding, land degradation and poor rains. In both livelihood zones the hunger gap and staple food prices peak from April until July, when the green harvest of maize starts. Survey findings indicated that crops in the Coffee LZ were in good condition in 75% of the surveyed communities while the remaining 25% had been affected either by hail or inadequate rains. In contrast, crops in the Maize LZ were reported to be in bad conditions in two thirds of the surveyed communities, mostly due to lack of inputs. In both livelihood zones last year meher harvest was described as below average by most surveyed communities, resulting in earlier depletion of food stock and earlier start of the hunger gap. However, the timing of the surveys in each LZ was different; the Coffee LZ was still in the midst of the hunger gap whereas the hunger gap in the Maize LZ had come to an end with the start of the green harvest.
Conclusion & Recommendations: The nutrition situation in the Coffee LZ was rated as critical with high levels of global and severe acute malnutrition. On the other hand the nutrition situation in the Maize LZ was considered typical for a chronically malnourished population with GAM and SAM significantly lower than in the Coffee LZ. The difference in malnutrition rates could be partly explained by the fact that the survey in the Coffee LZ was conducted towards the end of the hunger season-preceded by a below average 05 meher harvest, while the survey in the Maize LZ was conducted after the start of the green maize harvest. It was, however, anticipated that the food security and nutrition situation would gradually improve in the Coffee LZ with the end of the hunger gap in July and the relatively good belg performance. Meanwhile it was recommended to strengthen the woreda capacity for the detection, referral and treatment of severely malnourished cases. Following the surveys ACF resumed its support to the Woreda Health Offices to run OTPs in Dale and Aleta Wondo woredas.
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