12 / 20
Volume 4
Journal of Pediatric Care
ISSN: 2471-805X
Page 40
JOINT EVENT
Pediatric Critical Care 2018 &
World Pediatrics 2018
October 18- 20 , 2018
October 18- 20, 2018 Warsaw, Poland
&
6
th
International Conference on
25
th
World Pediatrics Conference
Pediatric Critical Care and Emergency Medicine
The double burden of malnutrition in refuge settlements
Rebecca Nerima
Vitamin Angels Uganda
A
growing number of refugee camps inUganda as a result of war in Southern Sudan are facing a double burdenofmalnutrition,
that is, the persistence of under-nutrition, along with a rapid rise of over-nutrition and non-communicable diseases such
as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. This double burden of malnutrition has resulted from various factors
including: a marked transition in dietary patterns over recent years (e.g. shifts to energy dense diets high in saturated fat,
sugar, and refined foods, and away from plant-based diets); inadequate access to healthy food choices; declining levels of
physical activity; and inadequate access to health care services as a result of displacement and broader social determinants.
In refuge settlements and host communities in Uganda, in addition to the high levels of under-nutrition, substantial levels of
overweight/obesity have also been observed. At the national level, 35% of children of are stunted. The prevalence is even higher
in host communities where 40% of children screened are stunted. Many low- and refuge settlements and host communities are
undergoing a nutrition transition associated with rapid social and economic transitions. We explore the coexistence of over
and under-nutrition at the neighborhood and household level, in a refuge settlement setting in Uganda.
rnerima@vitaminangels.orgJ Pediatr Care 2018, Volume 4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-805X-C4-015