No More Deaths from Wasting: Changing how the world fights acute child malnutrition

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimates that less than $2 billion USD in annual resources—equivalent to 0.02% of global health spending—can close the wasting treatment gap in the 15 countries most affected by food and nutrition crises and will provide the chance to save the lives of nearly two million children.

This approach would 1) improve efficiency by promoting simplified, streamlined approaches to diagnosis and treatment, 2) utilize a delivery model that focuses on bringing treatment to children, and 3) develop a global donor approach that prioritizes delivering resources through a centralized fund mechanism, which drives accountability and transparency for scaling wasting treatment by directly funding a series of priority country national nutrition plans in affected nations. Donors should consider models that create deeper equity in decision making, incorporating local voices and partners at the center of the funding delivery models. Clear goals and targets should be established through national nutrition plans and measured with regularity—adopting the newest evidence while increasing coordination and working with actors who have access to communities with children in need.