The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday issued new guidelines for treating children under five with severe acute malnutrition.

According to the agency, there are almost 20 million children under-five years of age worldwide who have severe acute malnutrition.

WHO says “severe acute malnutrition is when children suffer severe wasting that may or may not be accompanied by swelling of the body with fluid retention.”

This is caused by inadequate energy, protein and micronutrients in the diets of infants and children, combined with health problems such as recurrent infections.

Derrick Mbatha reports.

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