Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition: An Effective Intervention for Under-Nutrition

Abstract

Globally, Acute Malnutrition (AM) causes more than 50% of childhood mortality among children under five years of age. Before embracing the use of ready-to-use therapeutic foods, the management of AM was restricted to hospitals bases. However, the current availability of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) has enabled undernourished children to be treated in their communities. RUTF has proved to be highly effective in treating severely malnourished children and allows households to facilitate food intake without supervision from health care professionals. Recent evidence shows that Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) is a cost-effective method in management and prevention of malnutrition with high impact on population health, especially in reducing childhood mortality attributed to severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The unique components and principles of CMAM enable early detection and treatment of AM, with high coverage rates. Despite the proven effectiveness of CMAM programs, CMAM still draws insufficient attention for global implementation, and thus the need to integrate CMAM as well as health education and promotion programs into national health systems.