Research Snapshot: Simplifying treatment for malnutrition in humanitarian crises

This randomised trial adds to the evidence base to strengthen the response to malnutrition in emergencies, demonstrating that two alternative simplified protocols for treating malnutrition show promise for continued use in humanitarian settings.

Acute malnutrition is a significant threat to child survival in Sub Saharan Africa. Children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition are currently treated separately, using different protocols and nutritional products, which is complex and costly. Combined simplified protocols such as those tested in this study ( Optimising MAlnutrition treatment (OptiMA) and Combined Protocol for Acute Malnutrition Study (ComPAS) are potential approaches to make treatment simpler and cheaper, but evidence is needed to inform decision-making on these strategies.

This randomised trial showed that the simplified protocols did not harm the children or affect their weight gain compared with the standard protocol - while using less ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF), suggesting cost savings.

The evidence also suggested that ComPAS appears to be the best balance of cost, effectiveness, and resource use, especially under limited budgets. Importantly, reduced RUTF dosages did not appear to slow growth among the most severely malnourished.

The evidence on simplified approaches is now being used to inform scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa, and policy guidelines for humanitarian response.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.

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