[Niger: nutritional recuperation and education in a sub-Saharan urban area].

Located in Niamey, capital of Niger, a Sub-Saharian country where the rate of acute malnutrition in children is estimated at 16.8 percent, the National Armed Forces Center for Nutritional Rehabilitation and Education has been expanding its activities since 1986. The center offers curative and educational services to the children of military personnel and the population in neighboring districts. These services are regularly scheduled two and a half or three hours each morning five days a week. In 1990 our center received 115 malnourished children detected either during consultations or infant weighing sessions. Twenty-seven presented moderate protein-caloric malnutrition and 28 serious malnutrition. Medium age at admission was 11 months 16 days and medium length of stay was 9.5 days. Long-term recovery was confirmed in 30.5% while 69.5% were lost from follow-up. Keeping a healthbook throughout the weight control period, enforcing coercive measures for military families, organizing a permanent campaign to maintain awareness of nutritional problems, prolonging opening hours to improve access to the center, and above all improving the level of women's education are necessary to improve these results. Primary prevention requires better family planning with a longer interval between births.