Dubai Cares-MSF nutritional programmes to benefit 100,000 children in Niger

The programmes will conduct clinical studies in support of current research on the link between nutrition and education and the role malnutrition plays in preventing children's access to primary education.

The announcement follows a visit made by Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors, to Niger, where Her Excellency led a Dubai Cares delegation to meet with MSF representatives and to gain insight on the obstacles children face in accessing primary education.

Dubai Cares will invest Dhs3.7m in the joint programme based on the distribution of the ready-to-use-therapeutic-food (RUTF) model to ensure proper nutrition for children in the Maradi region of Niger, both entering and currently in primary education. 100,000 children are expected to benefit from the programme.

Al Hashimy spoke of malnutrition as a major problem thwarting children's intellectual and mental development and significantly reducing their likelihood of entering primary education when the time comes.

Al Hashimy said: 'According to scientific research, nutrition is directly linked to the children's health and ability to learn and is an important variable in their mental development and, by extension, their educational progress, measured by school enrollment, retention rate and academic progress.'

Together with MSF, Dubai Cares will conduct in-depth research on the affect of nutrition on children's access to primary education. It is expected the results of this research - primarily through on-ground, clinical studies - will influence how interventions in primary education are approached.

Her Excellency added: 'MSF was selected by Dubai Cares as its partner in Niger due to its successful track record in helping the country's children gain adequate nutrition. We believe the outcome of our joint research with MSF will compel organizations serious about primary education to incorporate nutrition as an integral component in their primary education strategy.'

Sinan Khaddaj, Director of Communications, MSF, described the new Dubai Cares-MSF partnership as 'essential' because the challenges presented by malnutrition are significant. He said: 'The consequences of malnutrition are catastrophic and may potentially account for the deaths of five million children every year, not to mention the impact of malnutrition on a child's physical and intellectual development. This situation can only deteriorate with the current world food crisis.'

MSF representatives gave Her Excellency a tour of a Niamey-based factory that manufactures Plumpy'doz, a complimentary ration developed by MSF in partnership with Nutriset. A departure from traditional nutritional programmes, the new model is based on home care by the mother with the aim of promoting behaviour that reduces the number of children falling into acute malnutrition. In 2007, the mothers of 62,000 children who received the ration over a six-month period reported visible changes in the children's health.

Dubai Cares has prioritized its Phase One grants to 12 countries that experience the highest gap in primary education. Earlier this year, Dubai Cares listed the beneficiary countries - Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, and Yemen, and Palestinian refugees (in Lebanon and Jordan).

Launched in September 2007, Dubai Cares has evolved into the world's largest charitable establishment, solely devoted to improving primary education around the world. As a contribution to the UN Millennium Development Goals for providing primary education to every child by 2015, the initiative validates the emirate's commitment to play an effective role in securing a better tomorrow for future generations.