EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background
In 2022, TBC and CCSDPT Health Agencies conducted the biennial nutrition survey of children from birth to 59 months of age in all nine camps in Thailand for refugees from Myanmar. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was postponed from 2021.
Methods
Random sampling was used to select households (HH) with children from birth to 59 months of age in all camps using TBC’s Total Population Database (TPD). TBC trained health agency staff to implement surveys using KoboToolbox on Android devices in all camps and supervised all surveys to completion. Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 19). The WHO Child Growth Standards were used to report principal anthropometry results.
Results
A total of 3,341 children were surveyed in all nine camps.
Malnutrition Rates
An average of 3.5%1 of children surveyed were found with global acute (wasting) malnutrition borderwide. Wasting rates for children <five years of age are stable and within the ‘low’ criteria (Graph 1.5) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks (2018). Wasting in camps remains lower than in Thailand and Myanmar.
By age group, the highest rates of wasting malnutrition were found in children 12-23 months of age in all camps (Table 1.2), although this was only a small number of children (n=28).
Significant progress was achieved in reducing stunting with 4.3% reduction from 2019 (19.3% reduction from 2013-2022). An average of 21.5% (range 9.4%-33.3% by camp borderwide) of children surveyed were found with global chronic (stunting) malnutrition. BMN is the first camp to reach a ‘low’ level at 9.4%. BMS, ML and UM are considered in the ‘medium’ level with only MLO considered ‘very high’. Stunting in the camps is higher than in Thailand but lower than in Myanmar. Graph 1.6 highlights stunting prevalence in previous nutrition surveys conducted – it is evident that there is continued notable progress, and, in 2022 (as in 2019) every camp had a reduction in stunting.
Feeding Practices Maternal Nutrition
Most mothers reported attending the Antenatal Clinic (ANC) as soon as they knew they were pregnant (98.0%). Of first ANC visits, 81.1% were within one to three months of the pregnancy. Previously, 21.3% did not attend until ≥ four months during the pregnancy, now improved to 18.2% in this survey (Table 1.7, by camp).
For maternal nutrition education, the benefits of weight gain during pregnancy related to the mother’s health were not well understood (same as in previous survey); however, the benefits of weight gain during pregnancy as related to the child’s health (promote child growth and development) were understood better than the other benefits related to maternal weight gain (60.1% similar to that reported in 2019 survey – 66.2%).
Food consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding was reported as best practised in relation to overall food and iron intake. In 2019, food consumption during pregnancy was reported as best practised related to iron intake and during breastfeeding, in relation to iron and amount of food consumed (Graphs 1.9-2.2). Protein intake was reported as ‘poorest’ in both 2019 and 2020.
There was high compliance for supplementation with iron, vitamin B1 and folic acid during pregnancy and breastfeeding (range 84.1%-95.1%, Table 1.8), similar to 2019 (range 88.0%-98.0%); however, for vitamin A, only 60.5% was reported in 2022.
