The fourth annual conference of Health Foundation Nepal (HFN) concluded here on Saturday, showcasing the impact of foundation’s activities in tackling childhood malnutrition in Dang.

Established in 2013, the foundation has been working in areas of community-based childhood, rural health clinic and maternal and child health in a number of rural communities in Nepal. Screening children to identify and help those suffering from malnutrition in Nepal is among the HFN’s specific activities, according to Dr Manoj Bhattarai, general secretary of the foundation.

In 2015, the foundation had screened a total of 1,560 children in Saudiyar and Laxmipur village development committee (VDC) in Dang for malnutrition. Of 633 children screened in Saudiya, 204 were found to be suffering from malnutrition, with nearly 5 percent of them requiring rehabilitation.

Currently, 25 of these children are enrolled in HFN’s malnutrition rehabilitation programme.

In Laxmipur, 36 percent of the 925 screened children under five were found to be suffering from malnutrition. A total of 31 children have so far enrolled in a malnutrition rehabilitation programme.

The conference hosted representatives from America Nepal Medical Foundation (ANMF) and Aspire for Service & Knowledge (ASK) Foundation.

The ANMF has played an influential role in building health posts and handing over dozens of them to Nepal government in the wake of the devastating earthquake.

ASK Foundation has been helping underprivileged segments of the population in rural communities through its telemedicine projects.