Evidence Brief: Resourcing Families for Better Nutrition (RF4BN) RCT in Somalia

Wasting affects millions of children under 5 years (CU5) and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) annually, yet research into the most effective and acceptable preventative interventions is nascent. Existing evidence indicates that cash assistance can be effective in addressing malnutrition when combined with nutrition education – known as “Cash Plus”. However, there is scant research in humanitarian response contexts which compares the effectiveness of Cash by itself with Cash Plus, addresses the optimal cash transfer amount or takes cost-effectiveness into consideration.

To address these gaps, Save the Children International (SCI), in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, the Somali Ministry of Health and the National Bureau of Statistics, conducted a randomized control trial to determine the most effective cash intervention in preventing acute malnutrition or wasting among children under 5 in Somalia.