USAID commits US$200M to treat acute malnutrition around the world

07 May 2024 --- The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced its plans to contribute US$200 million to purchase and distribute Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and other specialized nutritious foods aimed at preventing and treating acute malnutrition. The RUTF is set to be distributed through developmental partners UNICEF and the World Food Program to people in places including Sudan, Burkina Faso and Haiti, building on the ongoing support for Gaza and Ethiopia.

USAID administrator Samantha Power made the announcement while speaking at the Mother Administered Nutritive Aid (MANA) Nutrition RUTF Factory in Fitzgerald, Georgia. “Today, this global food security crisis that is exacerbated by the climate crisis, historic levels of conflict, the overhang from COVID-19 and all the damage it did, debt distress — has put 164 million people at risk of acute food insecurity.”

“That is a 92% increase from before the pandemic. That is a really sharp increase. When we have solutions like the ones in this building — solutions that work, that are affordable, that are readily available — we should be moving toward ending severe hunger for good. Right now, you’re actually seeing the problem of severe hunger increase. So we are taking action with partners around the world to reverse this trend.”

Tackling child malnutrition
According to the agency, an estimated 300 million people worldwide will need humanitarian assistance this year, as food insecurity is exacerbated by conflicts around the world, including Russia’s war on Ukraine and the climate crisis. The agency asserts that it continues to prioritize child nutrition as it works to integrate child health care and nutrition programs at the community and facility levels.

The daily cost of a RUTF treatment of a child is less than US$1 a day, while recovery rates are up to 90%.The USAID statement following the announcement reads: “Famine looms in Gaza and Sudan as critical food and nutrition assistance is nearly impossible to access. Child wasting, the most acute, life-threatening form of malnutrition, affects 45 million children globally.”

RUTF is one of the most effective treatments for wasting. It can save a child’s life and prevent it from slipping back into wasting post-recovery. USAID provides RUTF as part of its comprehensive package to support patients and their families and communities.

MANA’s RUTF is a shelf-stable product containing peanuts, milk powder, oil, sugar and a blend of nutrients. The daily cost of a RUTF treatment of a child is less than US$1 a day, while recovery rates are up to 90%. 

The newly announced additional funding aims to provide treatment to millions of more children in need. This additional support builds upon the US$500 million aid package by public and private partners announced at the 2022 UN General Assembly. “In 2022, USAID made a historic one-time contribution of $200 million to expand access to RUTF,” says Power.

“We issued a call to action to partner governments, philanthropic foundations, individuals and anyone to match that donation, and in total, together, we managed to raise another unprecedented $330 million for waste treatment around the world. We are building on that commitment today.” 

According to the NGO Alliance to End Hunger, the 2022 pledge enabled life-saving RUTF to reach 7.3 million children under the age of five, representing a 35% increase from the year prior.

Stakeholders’ reception
The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF), a US private philanthropy dedicated to ending global malnutrition, attended Power’s speech at the MANA factory and commends the announcement. ECF recently launched a partnership with Action Against Hunger with the goal of accelerating local adaptation and country-led uptake of the new WHO wasting guidelines.  

USAID administrator Samatha Power said that we are seeing a severe hunger increase, while announcing plans to take action to reverse this trend.Kim Cernak, Managing Director of ECF, comments: “Every 11 seconds, a child dies of malnutrition — a heartbreaking reality that we can put an end to. RUTF offers children suffering from severe malnutrition a chance not only to survive but to thrive. Today, USAID has taken historic steps to invest in RUTF, which means millions of kids will get the treatment they need.” 

“We commend USAID for continuing to take leadership on the issue of deadly malnutrition, and we commend Congress for asserting US commitment to a healthier and more secure world. We know that when we join together, we make progress that positively impacts lives around the globe. We urge all donors to sustain this momentum with additional support for RUTF so that every child who needs this lifesaving treatment can get it.”

The new WHO guidelines recommend the treatment of wasted children with RUTF when dosages are limited, as well as guidance on youngsters classified as suffering from “moderate wasting.” ECF has also made recent contributions to combat child wasting in multiple countries, including Senegal.

Also in attendance was philanthropist Chris Hohn, who confirmed his US$50 million investment in RUTF, building upon his previous US$200 million donation in support of the MANA facilities and operation.

Mark Moore, Founder and CEO of MANA, states: “It was an honor to host Administrator Power for a tour of MANA’s expanding Fitzgerald RUTF facility and for our factory to serve as the site of her announcement, which continues the commitment to our collective fight against child malnutrition.”

“At MANA, we like to say, ‘We are the village.’ This US government investment in RUTF, like the one before it, can save millions of the most vulnerable children in our global village — and it will enable MANA to draw upon the strength of our local village in Georgia, which proudly supplies the workforce and key ingredients required to produce RUTF.”

By Milana Nikolova