My name is H. Gunasoma. I am a public health midwife (PHM) in the Nuwara Eliya District, Rikillagaskada MOH (Medical Officer of Health) area. My area of work is Hanguranketha. In this area there was a child of 2 and a half years. As a baby the child’s weight was normal but with time he started to lose weight and became underweight. I asked the mother what was happening. She told me her husband drinks alcohol and because of that there’s financial problems so they can’t buy enough nutritious food for the child.
One day the father came to weigh the child. I talked with the father on how his child was losing weight. I explained to him how loss of weight can affect the child’s brain development as well as the various health problems the child might get because of being underweight. The father listened to what I was saying. He had gone home and discussed with his wife what I told him. His wife told me, on that day, he made a commitment to reduce his alcohol use and save more money so they could spend on buying good food for their child.
Next week when I met the mother, she told me that her husband has reduced alcohol use. He now brings fish, meat and dairy like yogurt for the child to eat. When the child was brought the month after for the checkup, his weight had increased. After that the child’s weight continually rose to the normal level. I am very glad about the change. I only did a small thing and it had an impact on a whole family.
