Dateline ACT

Swaziland 03/04

Drought impacts Swaziland with domino effect

by Stephen Padre, ACT International

Swaziland, March 31, 2004--Little rain. Few crops. A shortage of food. Lack of nutrition. Loss of health. A prolonged and widespread drought has set a series of events in motion, much like the toppling of a set of dominoes, which in the end has prevented farmers in the lowlands from growing crops for nearly three years.

The effects related to food shortages have been far-reaching and inter-connected, creating further economic, social and health challenges.

One area where the drought has been felt acutely is at Lubuli Clinic, situated in a rural area where many small farmers live. This small medical facility serves 24 surrounding communities with a total population of approximately 7,000 people.

Lubuli's senior staff nurse, Phindile Zwane, says that malnutrition can cause several medical conditions, many of which she has treated lately.

Zwane says many patients, mostly children, have come to the clinic complaining of symptoms of malnutrition, especially abdominal pains. When she gathers information about a patient, including age, appearance, weight and nutritional status, it often points to poor nutrition and a shortage of food at home.

The clinic is seeing health problems occur both in the presence and absence of water. Sometimes the water households use and drink is unclean, which causes diarrhea. On the other hand, Zwane reports the occurrence of skin problems among other patients. "If there is no water, people don't bathe," she says. And a short supply of water may also mean households cannot wash or prepare food properly, contributing to the spread of diseases.

Zwane and her staff have been trying to informally educate people in proper nutrition, food preparation, and how to purify water. "It's working," she says of the training sessions that take place every morning.

Lack of food also impacts the quality of medical treatment. "For medication to work well, it has to be taken with food," Zwane says.

While there has been no reliable rainfall across all of southern Africa for the past several years, there have been some rains since the beginning of the year in parts of Swaziland, and the food supply in the area has gone up a bit, Zwane says, so she is seeing fewer cases related to malnutrition.

Nevertheless, Zwane still finds her work difficult. She cites the small number of staff at the clinic as a challenge, as well as having too few resources when patients need some form of material assistance. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice something of your own - bring something from your own house," she says.

It's in this environment that members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International are working. Supported by ACT members around the world, Lutheran Development Service is currently implementing a comprehensive plan to address the effects of the drought as well as some of the related problems that can exacerbate the situation in families or communities.

To address some of the health consequences of the food shortage, one part of LDS's plan provides assistance for families affected by HIV/AIDS. An HIV testing unit visits families to identify HIV-positive people who can be helped through dietary and medical counseling provided by LDS staff. Those receiving counseling also benefit from additional food and nutrition supplements from LDS on top of rations they receive from the World Food Program to help delay the onset of AIDS and opportunistic infections.

Another component of LDS's plan provides materials for 300 pit latrines to improve household hygiene and stop the spread of water-borne diseases. LDS is also helping the most vulnerable in some communities by supporting community-based home care of the terminally ill with essential items and providing materials for volunteers to repair the homes of least 200 families who are too debilitated from hunger and illness to do so themselves.

As with a line of toppling dominoes, the effects of this drought can be felt away from the triggering event and spill into other areas. But LDS and other members of ACT are trying to minimize the drought's devastating impact by providing assistance and offering hope.

This Dateline is part of a series on the drought in southern Africa.

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