Every year, there are five million annual deaths worldwide related to malnutrition in children under five years of age.

In our city, we never see these starving, stick-thin children. And yet their image is all too familiar: clinging to life, waiting desperately for help. Is this a case of “out of sight, out of mind”? Or have we simply accepted this situation as a fact of life?

There are 178 million malnourished children worldwide. Before receiving medical care, malnourished children are listless and frail. But giving them treatment and adequate nutrition is like pouring water on a dry sponge: they immediately spring back to life.

In the regions of South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Horn of Africa, nutritious food is either too expensive or simply not available. Many families must survive on cereal porridges that are missing many essential nutrients. However, food aid provided today by international agencies or donors is also mainly cereal-based. Lacking in animal-source food such as milk, it cannot provide the nutrients necessary for the growth and development of a healthy child.

Like our own children, what these malnourished children need is not just food, but nutritious food.

In order to raise the awareness of global malnutrition crisis and the need to fix food aid to tackle the crisis, international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is going to hold an exhibition “Food is not Enough – an exhibition on the global malnutrition crisis” in Guangzhou from 4 to 16 December. In the exhibition, a tent to simulating the setting on the frontline will be set up to show the procedure how the teams do the screening and consultation to the malnutrition children. Also, visitors will have a chance to taste the ready-to-use food (RUF) that we use to treat malnourished children in the field.

As an international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is taking emergency measures to address the global malnutrition crisis. In 2006 and 2007, MSF provided medical treatment to approximately 150,000 children suffering from malnutrition annually.

Please stand together with us and give your voice to those without one -- speak out on behalf of these five million children: Food is Not Enough!

Food is not Enough – an exhibition on the global malnutrition crisis Date:         04.12.2008 – 16.12.2008 Time:         9am – 6pm Venue:       Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Guangzhou Library                      42, Zhongshanshi Road, Guangzhou Organiser: Médecins Sans Frontières Webpage:   www.msf.org.cn/woyaoliangshi (free of charge and exhibition panels in bilingual)   "Frontline Faces" – an experience sharing session on MSF's nutritional intervention Date:         Sunday, 7 December 2008 Time:         2:00pm - 3:30pm Venue:       Multi-function Hall, 3/F, Guangzhou Library,              42, Zhongshansi Road, Guangzhou Speakers: Ms Elaine Lau (Nurse), Dr. Kenneth Chan                     (in Cantonese and Putonghua)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(MSF via China.org.cn December 1, 2008)