What is the strategy MSF is following to treat malnourished children?
In the past, MSF admitted all severely malnourished children. Now both severely and moderately malnourished are treated as outpatients and only those suffering from medical complications and fulfilling admission criteria are hospitalized. For example, if a severely malnourished child cannot eat or needs to be fed milk through a nasogastric tube, the child is admitted until outpatient treatment can be provided. Sometimes, moderately malnourished children get sick; for instance, they get severe malaria and need to be admitted to the stabilization center where they are treated for the disease while still being provided the nutritional treatment. We run a stabilization center at the Kaabong hospital, which includes a pediatrics department, where all malnourished children suffering from medical complications in the district are referred to. In Karamoja you are using ready-to-use therapeutic food or RUF. What are the advantages of this treatment in the field? A 500-calorie serving of vitamin
