Abstract
Heikens discusses a new study published inPLoS Medicine that is helpful in reconsidering the applicability of the WHO treatment guidelines.
Highlights
More than 10 million children under the age of five die each year, of whom 1.5 million are severely malnourished [1]
Community-based programs, including the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), have been developed to address the synergy between childhood malnutrition and infection, and these programs include nutritional rehabilitation [4]. Such programs detect severely malnourished children by measuring mid-upper arm circumference, treat such children with ready-to-use therapeutic foods [5], and if necessary refer them to facility-based management
The WHO therapeutic guidelines [8,9] are based on a large body of accumulated experience of over 30 years, from nutrition units in Uganda [10], South Africa [11], and the Caribbean [12,13]
Summary
More than 10 million children under the age of five die each year, of whom 1.5 million are severely malnourished [1]. Community-based programs, including the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) (see http:⁄⁄www.who.int/ child-adolescent-health/integr.htm), have been developed to address the synergy between childhood malnutrition and infection, and these programs include nutritional rehabilitation [4]. Such programs detect severely malnourished children by measuring mid-upper arm circumference, treat such children with ready-to-use therapeutic foods [5], and if necessary refer them to facility-based management. The Perspectives section is for experts to discuss the clinical practice or public health implications of a published article that is freely available online
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