Emergency nutrition service gives children a new lease of life in dzud affected Mongolia

Local health workers weighing Tsetsgee (January, 2016)
©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/Ganchimeg

“My daughter was underweight and kept getting sick during the winter” says Ms. Orlomsuren, a mother of three who lives in Zavkhan, one of the provinces affected worst by dzud—extreme, harsh winter. She added that she could still remember the long, cold winter nights when she was struggling to put nutritious food on the table for her children, especially her then 2-year-old daughter Tsetsgee. “We were very worried about our little girl and didn’t know what to do when the roads were blocked by snow,” added Ms. Orlomsuren.

Хүүхэд бүрийг зохистой хоол тэжээлээр хангах нь

2 настай Азат хүү ээжийнхээ хийж өгсөн бантанг идэж байна.

©НҮБХС Монгол Улс/2016/A.Энхзул

     Хоолны сайхан үнэр гэрээр нэг дүүрэн үнэртэнэ. "Өнөөдөр би бантан хийсэн. Бантангаа жаахан хөрөхөөр нь илүү тэжээллэг болгохын тулд хүнсний нэмэлт найрлагат бэлдмэл нэмж хийдэг” хэмээн 27 настай Жулдиз бүсгүй ярилаа. Гурван хүүхэддээ үдийн хоолыг нь хийж өгөхөд хүүхдүүд бие биенээсээ уралдан хурдан гэгч нь иднэ. “Хүүхдүүд маань хоол унданд сайн байвал би баяртай байдаг. Хоолонд сайн байна гэдэг чинь эрүүл саруул өсөж байгаагийн шинж шүү дээ” гээд Жулдиз инээмсэглэн өгүүлэв.

Ensuring every child has good nutrition

2 year-old Azat eating bantan made by his mother

©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/Enkhzul Altangerel

A delicious smell runs through the house as lunch is ready. “Today I made bantan. Bantan is a Mongolian flour soup. It is very simple, made only from two ingredients, flour and meat. When it gets cooler, I’ll add micronutrient supplements to make it more nutritious” says 27-year old Juldiz. When she served her three children lunch, they ate quickly to see who finishes first. “I am happy when they eat well. Because it means that they will grow healthy” Juldiz smiles.

Good nutrition: Ensuring Mongolian children grow up strong

Narantungalag and Bilguun- Tuguldur getting nutrition advice 

©UNICEF/Mongolia/2015/Zoya Baduan

Bilguun-Tuguldur is an active one-year-old boy, who is squirming in his mother’s arms. He really wants to get down on the ground and play with his older siblings. When he is finally let down he runs after his sisters, giggling.

Аавын бэлтгэсэн эрүүл хоол

Эрдэнэбат бичил тэжээлийн холимогоор баяжуулсан шөл бэлтгэж 

байгаа нь © НҮБХСМонгол/2014/ Магвандоржийн Бямбарагчаа

Эрдэнэбат 26 настай бөгөөд  зуухаа тойрон баяжуулан агшаасан будааны шөлийг өөрийн гараар хичээнгүйлэн хийж байна. Тэрээр хоолоо хийж дуусмагц, өрөөнд буй бусад таван эцэгт хандан өөрийн хийсэн хоолны илчлэгийн талаар ярьж өглөө.

Ending child deaths from pneumonia

A child in rural Mongolia receiving medical care in rural Mongolia ©UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0448/Cullen 

Today is world pneumonia day. Globally pneumonia is the largest infectious killer of children under five. In 2012 pneumonia killed 1.1 million children under five, or 5,500 children every day, or one child every 15 seconds. Nearly all of these deaths occurred in developing countries.

Breast is best: how Uran-Erdene got the best start in life

Uran-Erdene is a healthy and joyful 11-month year old girl. With her two little ponytails and chubby cheeks, she bounces back and forth between her parents laps. She is the youngest of three girls and, according to her mother Sarantugs, she is also the healthiest. Sarantugs believes this is because she exclusively breastfed Uran-Erdene for six months after birth. 

Uran-Erdene's happy when breastfeeding
@UNICEF Mongolia/2014/Ariunzaya Davaa

“I was only 22 when I had my first child,” Sarantugs says. “I was inexperienced and believed the TV adverts about infant formula, so I fed her breast milk substitute almost immediately after birth. At the time, she looked chubby and seemed healthy, so I thought I was doing the right thing. Now I know that infant formula cannot replace breast milk.”

Fathers’ cooking healthy meals for their kids

Erdenebat scoops micronutrient enriched soup into a bowl
© UNICEF Mongolia/2014/Byambaragchaa Magvandorj

Erdenebat, 26 years old, is bent over a stove, carefully stirring the micronutrient enriched thickened rice soup that he has cooked from scratch. After he finishes cooking, Erdenebat turns to the five other fathers in the room and tells them about the nutritional value of the dish.