Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is one of the greatest child survival challenges in the world today and reportedly affects more than 16.2 million children each year1. High impact, proven treatment interventions exist yet sadly approximately only 3.2 million children with SAM have access to treatme ... nt each year2. Thus, there is a need to scale up interventions to improve coverage and access across high burden countries. While efforts are currently underway to expand services in many countries, obstacles remain. One critical barrier to expanding SAM treatment services is the acceptance, accessibility and utilisation of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). In some countries and contexts, RUTF is still not fully accepted by community members; while other countries face problems with procurement, storage and supply chain management which impact on availability and use3. Reports from Ghana and Zambia highlighted that stock- outs and logistical challenges are often noted as key contributors to high default rates in outpatient treatment centres4. more

This Technical Brief focuses on current principles and approaches to Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) management, highlighting key constraints, gaps in knowledge and areas still lacking consensus. It is intended to inform ongoing debates among practitioners, national partners, donors and analysts o ... n what information and evidence on best practices are currently available, where the gaps are, and priorities for going forward. more

This Technical Brief reviews current practice and evidence on nutrition-specific preventive approaches to MAM, providing practical guidance for implementers and programme managers, and highlighting gaps in evidence and guidance.