Why have mortality rates for severe malnutrition remained so high?
During food emergencies, agencies often have to decide at what point Therapeutic Feeding Programmes (TFPs) should be closed. An important element to consider is the capacity of local health structures to treat severely malnourished children after closure. Recent research at the Centre for Human Nutrition in the LSHTM is relevant to those facing these types of decisions in emergency situations. The work looked at case management in hospitals and nutritional rehabilitation units. It showed that the case fatality from severe malnutrition in these health structures has remained unchanged over this period and is typically 20-30% with the highest levels (50-60%) being among those with oedematous malnutrition. The review concluded that a likely cause of this continuing high mortality is faulty case-management. A survey of treatment centres world-wide (n=79) showed that for acutely ill children, inappropriate diets that are high in protein, energy and sodium and low in micronutrients are commo
