Currently, treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition is managed in the integrated Community based Outpatient Therapeutic Program (C-OTP) using ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs). The aim of this study was to determine challenges in implementing the critical steps in C-OTP and caregivers’ perceptions of service provision in southern Ethiopia. A total of 1048 caregivers of children admitted to the OTP and 175 Health Extension Workers (HEWs) from 94 selected health posts were included in the study. Program admission, follow-up and exit information was collected from caregivers during home visits. HEWs were interviewed at their respective health posts. Only 46.6% (481/1032) were given the recommended amount of RUTF and 19.3% (196/1015) were given antibiotics on admission. During C-OTP participation 34.9% (316/905) had uninterrupted provision of the recommended amount of RUTF. Of the children who left the program, 220/554 (39.7%) exited the program in line with the national recommendation. Caregivers (42.9% (394/918) and HEWs (37.1%, 62/167) perceive that RUTFs were being sold as a commodity. Inadequate provision and unintended usage of RUTFs, lack of antibiotics and inappropriate exit from the program were major constraints. For successful saving of lives, adequate resources must be allocated, and providers must be trained regularly, and supervised properly.

A scaled up and integrated outpatient therapeutic feeding programme (OTP) brings the treatment of severely malnourished children closer to the community. This study assessed recovery from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), fatality, and acute malnutrition up to 14 weeks after admission to a programme integrated in the primary health care system. In this cohort study, 1,048 children admitted to 94 OTPs in Southern Ethiopia were followed for 14 weeks. Independent anthropometric measurements and information on treatment outcome were collected at four home visits. Only 32.7% (248/759) of children with SAM on admission fulfilled the programme recovery criteria at the time of discharge (i.e., gained 15% in weight, or oedema, if present at admission, was resolved at discharge). Of all children admitted to the programme for whom nutritional assessment was done 14 weeks later, 34.6% (321/928) were severely malnourished, and 37.5% (348/928) were moderately malnourished; thus, 72.1% were acutely malnourished. Of the children, 27/982 (2.7%) had died by 14 weeks, of whom all but one had SAM on admission. Children with severe oedema on admission had the highest fatality rate (12.0%, 9/75). The median length of admission to the programme was 6.6 weeks (interquartile range: 5.3, 8.4 weeks). Despite children participating for the recommended duration of the programme, many children with SAM were discharged still acutely malnourished and without reaching programme criteria for recovery. For better outcome of OTP, constraints in service provision by the health system as well as challenges of service utilization by the beneficiaries should be identified and addressed.

Background: Severe acute child malnutrition (SAM) is associated with high risk of mortality. To increase programme effectiveness in management of SAM, community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme that treats SAM using ready-to-use-therapeutic foods (RUTF) has been scaled-up and integrated into existing government health systems. The study aimed to examine caregivers’ and health workers perceptions of usages of RUTF in a chronically food insecure area in South Ethiopia.Methods: This qualitative study recorded, transcribed and translated focus group discussions and individual interviews with caregivers of SAM children and community health workers (CHWs). Data were complemented with field notes before qualitative content analysis was applied.Results: RUTF was perceived and used as an effective treatment of SAM; however, caregivers also see it as food to be shared and when necessary a commodity to be sold for collective benefits for the household. Caregivers expected prolonged provision of RUTF to contribute to household resources, while the programme guidelines prescribed RUTF as a short-term treatment to an acute condition in a child. To get prolonged access to RUTF caregivers altered the identities of SAM children and sought multiple admissions to CMAM programme at different health posts that lead to various control measures by the CHWs.Conclusion: Even though health workers provide RUTF as a treatment for SAM children, their caregivers use it also for meeting broader food and economic needs of the household endangering the effectiveness of CMAM programme. In chronically food insecure contexts, interventions that also address economic and food needs of entire household are essential to ensure successful treatment of SAM children. This may need a shift to view SAM as a symptom of broader problems affecting a family rather than a disease in an individual child.