The ready-to-eat revolution

The numbers are stark and heartbreaking. Every year, nearly 20 million children across the world suffer from the most severe form of malnutrition. Far away from the headlines, thousands of them die every day. But the outlook for these children does not have to be so grim.

Rose, a mother of three, lives in Malawi. Both her and her husband work tirelessly to provide enough food for their children. However, despite their efforts they can only grow maize during the rainy season, which only lasts for a few months of the year. During the other months, they both have to search for alternative work to be able to feed their children.  

With no other means of food, Rose’s 18-month-old daughter became life-threateningly malnourished. Rose took her to a specialised clinic where her daughter was nurtured back to health within one month.

To ensure a full recovery, mother and daughter had to stay in the clinic for the full four weeks under the care of medical professionals, who administered the special milk formula used to treat malnourished children. The milk can be safely prepared and used only under close supervision in centres with access to clean water, a constraint which seriously limits the coverage of treatment. For Rose, this meant she was unable to work and support the two children she had to leave behind, leaving the whole family vulnerable to food shortages. 

This is why the recent development of innovative ready-to-use foods has revolutionised the lives of so many families. It is a treatment that replicates the therapeutic nutritional value of the milk formula and can directly be eaten by the child, without prior addition of water.

The most widely used product is called Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based paste available in serving-sized foil packets that can be stored easily, does not require preparation and requires no dilution (avoiding dirty water). For mothers like Rose, this new development means that they do not have to stay in a clinic unless malnutrition is accompanied by medical complications. With treatment administered in the community, parents can continue providing for their family while ensuring that their children receive the treatment they need in their own community.

With treatment provided closer to home, Action Against Hunger can now reach more children then ever before, opening a new era in the treatment of malnutrition.