Famine Response Integrated SMART Survey Final Report in Geissan Locality, Blue Nile State Sudan

Save the Children supported the Blue Nile Region Ministry of Health in conducting a Nutrition SMART Survey in Geissan Locality, Blue Nile Region, from November 29th to December 9th, 2023. Training took place in Al Damazin town from November 29th to December 3rd, followed by data collection from December 4th to 9th 2023. This cross-sectional survey used a two-stage cluster sampling method (PPS) with 33 clusters and 15 households per cluster, totaling 491 households. Data was manually collected and analyzed using ENA and SPSS software.

Key findings revealed a prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) at 14.0% (WHZ) and 7.1% (MUAC), with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rates at 2.2% (WHZ) and 1.1% (MUAC). Combined GAM and SAM rates were 17.3% and 3.3%, respectively. The underweight and stunting rates were 30.1% and 37.1%. Health issues showed 64.6% of children were sick in the two weeks prior to the survey, with fevers (37.2%), cough (29.9%), and diarrhea (17.5%). Health-seeking behavior was noted at 70.0%. Measles/MMR vaccination coverage was 41.4% by card and 36.4% by mother’s recall. Crude mortality was 0.74, and under-5 mortality was 1.43. The malnutrition rate for pregnant and lactating women was 7.9%.

Breastfeeding practices indicated 83.0% of children were ever breastfed, 79.0% had timely initiation of breastfeeding, and 81.1% were exclusively breastfed. Minimum dietary diversity for children aged 6-23 months was 34.8%, with minimum meal frequency for breastfed and non-breastfed children at 59.1% and 17.4%, respectively. The minimum acceptable diet for breastfed children was 20.6%.

Recommendations include scaling up malnutrition treatment programs and health interventions focused on malaria, mapping hotspots for malnutrition and low vaccination coverage, and prioritizing mobile clinics. Food security and livelihood interventions should be scaled up, and community case detection should be reinforced through family-mother MUAC. Growth monitoring and promoting IYCF practices are essential, along with enhancing nutritional education and counseling. Increasing immunization coverage and improving household hygiene to reduce disease prevalence were also recommended.