Malnutrition

Abstract

You are the new physician working in a small village-based health clinic in rural Malawi. The debilitated residents are suffering from recurrent diarrhoeal diseases- thought to be linked to poor sanitation. You decide to take a quick tour to survey the village. A mother brings her emaciated child to see you. You find that malnutrition is rife, prompting consideration of clinical assessment of malnourished patients, epidemiology of malnutrition, and details of management in the community and as in-patient. You learn details of feeding programmes, the importance of multinational bodies, and some useful therapeutic foodstuffs used in treating malnutrition.