Zhenzhen Eats Her Fill

Xiu Zhenzhen is four years old and loves to sing and watch television. She also loves to eat. Her favorite foods are spinach, soymilk, apples, and pork-and-egg congee (a kind of Chinese porridge). Ask her how often she gets to eat her favorite foods, and she smiles proudly. “Every day!” she says.

It wasn't always that way. Last year, the village doctor diagnosed Zhenzhen as being malnourished. She exhibited signs of fatigue, tooth decay, slow weight gain, and below average growth. But thanks to a UNICEF-supported health program, Zhenzhen's condition has improved steadily, and she is now at a normal weight and growth scale.

The Primary Health Care/ Mother-Child Health Project monitors village children to make sure they're receiving adequate nutrition, and to assure timely intervention in cases like Zhenzhen's.

Zhenzhen's mother, a farmer, says she simply did not know enough to see the signs of malnutrition. A recent loss of family income compromised many aspects of their lives, making diet less of a priority.

Upon seeing Zhenzhen's weakened health, the village doctor immediately counseled her mother on proper feeding methods. He even provided simple, low-cost recipes that fit the family's budget.

Zhenzhen's mother says the doctor helped her understand that her daughter's health and development were the keys to her future success. She recalls her daughter's condition just one year before, expressing a feeling of helplessness. “Most parents receive health education only after it's too late, when their children are already sick,” she says. “I'm very lucky.”