In the midst of a worrying national situation, the Attorney General of the Nation, Margarita Cabello Blanco, has expressed her concern about the growing infant mortality due to malnutrition in Colombia. With two confirmed cases of child deaths in Risaralda, the official has urged national and territorial authorities to take urgent measures to stop this problem.
According to data provided by the National Institute of Health (INS) for epidemiological week 4 of 2024, 12 cases of mortality due to malnutrition in children under five years of age have been reported, with the highest reports in Chocó (4), La Guajira (2 ) and Risaralda (2). In the same week, 1,746 cases of morbidity associated with malnutrition were registered, highlighting higher incidences in Bogotá (250), La Guajira (185), Antioquia (169), Cundinamarca (90) and Chocó (68 cases).
Given these alarming figures, Attorney Cabello Blanco has made an urgent call to local authorities to address the difficulties in caring for children at risk or diagnosed with malnutrition. The Attorney General emphasized the importance of ensuring the affiliation of these children to the General Social Security Health System (SGSSS) and requested integrated strategies to address cases in contexts of migration, forced displacement and victimizations due to armed conflict.
In his statement, Cabello Blanco also highlighted the need for rigorous reporting and monitoring of cases in the Public Health Surveillance System (SIVIGILA). In addition, he announced that requirements will be made to supervise the actions of local leaders within the framework of the 2022-2026 Development Plan, which includes specific measures for food and nutritional security.
These concerns arise after 244 deaths due to malnutrition were confirmed in 2023, with La Guajira (74), Chocó (46), Cesar (27), Antioquia (22) and Magdalena (20) leading in the number of reports. In addition, more than 24 thousand cases of morbidity associated with malnutrition were recorded for the same period.
The Attorney General has made it clear that the situation requires immediate and coordinated action by all government agencies to safeguard the health and well-being of the child population in Colombia.
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