July 11, 2023 — In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) issuing for the treatment of acute malnutrition, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ issues the following statement:
“The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ welcomes the WHO’s updated guidelines on the management of acute malnutrition, which takes positive steps towards decentralizing and expanding treatment. The updated guidance specifically includes numerous helpful updates such as recommendations for utilizing Community Health Workers (CHWs) to bring treatment to remote communities, currently beyond the reach of established health facilities, and calls to treat all children with acute malnutrition instead of only the most severe cases.
“As the guidelines are a living document, we hope this represents the latest and not the last step towards closing the treatment gap for children suffering from acute malnutrition. UN agencies have already endorsed the use of certain simplifications under ,’ including fragile and conflict-affected humanitarian contexts and during Future updates to the guidelines should reflect this focus on the treatment gap, and build on current evidence for for acute malnutrition, including the use of simplified admission, dosage, and discharge criteria.
“Nearly a decade of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s research in operational and clinical settings has proven that expanding the use of the simplified protocol for diagnosing and treating acute malnutrition can lead to significant efficiency gains while achieving a recovery rate of more than 90%. This approach requires 39% less of the treatment product ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and costs 21% less per child treated, according to ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ research in . Expediting the shift towards these simplifications will ensure that limited resources are maximized to save more lives.
“Thanks to the extraordinary of USAID and the U.S. Congress, $530 million was mobilized in 2022 by the agency, other bilateral donors, and private philanthropy to scale up RUTF procurement. A coalition of INGOs applauded the unprecedented resourcing, and outlined ways to improve cost-efficiency and scale as a severe fiscal cliff looms in 2024. Accelerating the uptake of proven and innovative solutions that deliver results at scale must be a central priority as .
“Donors and implementing agencies should seize the opportunity to take the lead with affected states and local partners on scaling context-appropriate, cost-effective and simplified approaches. The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ stands ready to partner with the WHO and other partners to close the persistent treatment gap by scaling proven and effective solutions. By pairing efficiency gains, approaches to enable scale and new sustained funding, we can ensure millions of children finally receive the lifesaving care they desperately need."