Objectives:
• Identify children suffering from malnutrition and enrol them and their families in project
• Prevent malnutrition through education of parents/care-givers
The NNU runs in conjunction with the NMC. Children with acute medical problems that stem from basic malnourishment and their caregivers are invited to join the programme for treatment. The children are screened for worms, TB , anaemia, HIV, etcetera, and treated accordingly. During their stay in the programme they are literally fed up until they are back on their normal growth line. All children who are HIV positive are started on highly active antiretroviral treatment ( HAART ) , together with their siblings and parents, if they meet the criteria of the HAART programme.During the period that the caregiver and the child stay in the programme, the caregivers are taught how to start a home vegetable garden and how to improve the home situation with regards to sanitation, hygiene, etc. The caregivers are provided with seedlings and a garden tool set in order to start their own home vegetable gardens. This is done in an effort to structurally improve the nutritional status of the whole family. Locally trained community health workers (CHWs) carry out regular home visits in order to assist in 'improvements around the home' and to monitor the progress of the home vegetable garden. Besides training in gardening, the caregivers are offered a series of lectures on topics such as diarrhoea and vomiting, burns, immunisation, healthy food, caring for children, etc.
In 2001, the first satellite unit was established in Marapong, approximately 5 km from the main unit; this was done in co-operation with the Mpumalanga department of health. In 2002, the second satellite unit was established in Ntwane, approximately 8 km from the main unit. The construction of a fourth satellite unit in Thabakubedu (approximately 15 km from the main unit) was completed in March 2004, the fifth in Phooko in October 2005. The programme's objective is to establish more units in surrounding townships to lower the threshold for participating.Next to the units in Marapong, Ntwane and Phooko pre-schools have been opened. In 2006 the 4 th pre-school will be built in Thabachabedu The children in these pre-schools are being educated and get two healthy meals per day.