Treating severe acute malnutrition seriously.
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects approximately 13 million children under the age of 5 and is associated with 1-2 million preventable child deaths each year. In most developing countries, case fatality rates (CFRs) in hospitals treating SAM remain at 20-30% and few of those requiring care actually access treatment. Recently, community-based therapeutic care (CTC) programmes treating most cases of SAM solely as outpatients have dramatically reduced CFRs and increased the numbers receiving care. CTC uses ready-to-use therapeutic foods and aims to increase access to services, promoting early presentation and compliance, thereby increasing coverage and recovery rates. Initial data indicate that this combination of centre-based and community-based care is cost effective and should be integrated into mainstream child survival programmes.
Collins
Steve
S
Centre for International Health and Development and Valid International Ltd, Unit 14 Standingford House, 26 Cave Street, Oxford OX4 1BA, UK. steve@validinternational.org
D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans