The Campaign to End Malnutrition :: The Solution
| The Campaign | The Problem | The Solution |
How to Help |
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Malnutrition: the Solution |
For more than 30 years, scientists and humanitarian organizations have worked together to improve the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. New therapeutic or preventative products have been elaborated and today acute malnutrition is a treatable illness. Additionally, most nutritional crises are foreseeable: it is often possible to determine where and when they will arrive; this is the concept of “seasonality” of hunger.
The most promising tools in our arsenal today are Ready-to-Use-Foods (RUFs), a category of nutrient-dense nutrition products used in both the therapeutic treatment and (non-therapeutic) prevention of acute malnutrition. These revolutionary RUFs have already transformed the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, introducing a community-based outpatient model that empowers parents and eliminates the need for expensive medical facilities.
Expanding the Ready-to-Use Revolution: New Tools
A range of nutrient-dense Ready-To-Use-Foods (RUFs) have been developed in the form of peanut-butter pastes and biscuits that pack high concentrations of energy and calories—an ideal tool for treating and preventing acute malnutrition. These new RUFs require no preparation before being eaten, no dilution with water (thus avoiding contamination from unclean water sources), require no refrigeration, possess a long shelf-life, and can be stored virtually anywhere. These revolutionary RUFs have already transformed the treatment of severe acute malnutrition by introducing a community-based outpatient model that empowers parents and eliminates the need for expensive medical facilities.In a nutshell, RUFs solve several problems at once, allowing us to:
- Massively Scale-Up the impact and reach of our community-based programs;
- Expand Coverage and Access to life-saving nutritional products; and
- Empower Parents and Caretakers in the treatment of their children at home.
The Need for a Campaign
Recent field successes with RUFs compel us to call for their expanded availability and use along with the financial and political commitments needed to scale up global efforts. The international community must make RUFs available for both the prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition if we are to reach the millions of children needing help.This won’t happen overnight. RUFs are more expensive than traditional types of food aid (e.g., corn-soy blend), and as such an economic model must be developed capable of producing sufficient quantities at reduced prices. Institutional donors, private foundations, government ministries, and international bodies should pledge to update the policies that govern international assistance. The need for institutional change is evident: we now have the tools to end acute malnutrition, but until we secure changes in how aid is governed, more lives will be needlessly lost.
It’s crucial to build understanding and support among U.S. constituents and decision makers. The campaign will do this through mobilization, education, and fundraising strategies—efforts that will reinforce a new understanding of malnutrition and build the constituencies needed for lasting change.
