PT44 - INTEGRATING MUAC SCREENING INTO UNRWA’S CHILD HEALTH SERVICES FOR IMPROVED WASTING DETECTION IN GAZA CONFLICT IN 2024
PT44
INTEGRATING MUAC SCREENING INTO UNRWA’S CHILD HEALTH SERVICES FOR IMPROVED WASTING DETECTION IN GAZA CONFLICT IN 2024
H. Khammash1,*, S. Alnajjar2, A. Tabaza2, M. Horino1, J. Chen1, R. Jaffal1, G. Algadba2, A. Seita1
1Health, UNRWA, Amman, Jordan, 2Health, UNRWA, Cairo , Egypt
Rationale: Palestine refugees in Gaza face chronic poverty, conflict, and blockade since 2007¹. The 2023 conflict displaced 1.9 million, increasing malnutrition². UNRWA integrated MUAC³ into child health services for early detection, treatment, and response.
Methods: UNRWA screened children aged 6–59 months in Gaza using WHO/UNICEF MUAC criteria: MAM (≥11.5–<12.5 cm) and SAM (<11.5 cm). Staff were trained, and protocols adapted to displacement, insecurity, and limited access.
Results: During the study, 147,797 children aged 6–59 months were screened in 2024; 6.96% were malnourished (5.95% MAM, 1% SAM). MUAC screening improved detection and referrals, despite challenges in measurement accuracy, follow-up, and resource limitations.
Conclusion: MUAC screening effectively supported rapid malnutrition detection in Gaza. Sustaining quality in prolonged crises requires standardized measurements, reliable data systems, and staff training. Future efforts should evaluate MUAC tool suitability to improve sensitivity and specificity in emergencies.
References: 1. Al Jazeera. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: live tracker [Internet]. 2023 Oct 9. Available from: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker
2. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Global Initiative. Gaza Strip: IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot, September 2024–April 2025 [Internet]. 2024. Available from: https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Gaza_Strip_Acute_Food_Insecurity_Malnutrition_Sep2024_Apr2025_Special_Snapshot.pdf
3. UNICEF, WHO. "Child Nutrition in Emergencies." MUAC Screening for Severe Acute Malnutrition. Technical notes, UNICEF-WHO. 2022. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/documents/mid-upper-arm-circumference-muac-measure-tape-use
Disclosure of Interest: None declared