Community Based Management of Severely Malnourished (SMC) Children
Problem Background :
Melghat, the hilly forest region inhabited mostly by tribal was known for very high prevalence of severe malnutrition and Malnutrition related deaths (among children under 5 yrs of age). Severe Malnutrition (SAM, SUW, Severe Stunting (<5 years of age) was >30% in the area.
MAHAN Intervention & Impact:
Trained semi-literate tribal women (Village health Workers) treated under 5 children suffering from sever malnutrition with Local Therapeutic Food (LTF) and also treated associated infections. They provided intensive health and nutrition education. The recovery rate of severe malnutrition was one of the best in world (SAM>75%), the prevalence and deaths of severe malnutrition have been reduced significantly, achieved WHO targets.
>5000 SMC Episodes; Case fatality rate of <0.5% in treated SMC, achieved WHO target of <4%.
HUMAN Milk Bank @ MAHAN
Rotary Club of Nagpur Vision and MAHAN trust jointly set up Human Milk Bank Centre (Yashoda Mata Breast feeding center) at MAHAN Trust , Melghat on 22nd Jun 2025.
The Human Milk Bank Centre is a life-saving initiative that will provide safe, donated breast milk to newborns, especially premature and low birth weight babies, who cannot be breastfed by their mothers due to medical or other reasons. Breast milk is critical for building immunity, reducing infant mortality, and ensuring healthy growth in the early days of life.
Setting up this center at Melghat, a tribal and underserved region, holds tremendous significance. This area has historically faced challenges in maternal and child healthcare especially very high prevalence of low birth weight babies and severe malnutrition. The center will directly support vulnerable newborns, infants, improve survival rates, and empower tribal mothers with awareness and access to better neonatal care.
This initiative has historical emotional background. Twenty-four years before, Dr. Kavita Satav, when breast feeding mother, donated her own milk to a boy for 15 days, who was delivered by her and saved his life. We taught this story to our village health workers who then saved many babies by donating their own milk. This concept was accepted in our adopted villages and many donor mothers came forward to save lives of other children. We labelled it as Yashoda Mata technique.
SUCCESS STORIES
Here is story of how - Lakshmi, a 23 months old female child who was very critical & suffering from worst degree of severe malnutrition & severe pneumonia, weighing 5.300kg (expected – 10 kg) was saved
PHOTO GALLERY
Village Health Workers-Brining Life to Severe Malnourished Children
RESEARCH PAPER
MAHAN researches accepted & published in various national/ International journals