Scaling Up the Treatment of Severe Wasting

Determinants of the Global Prices of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods

“…However, currently, treatment coverage data are very sparse and insufficient for a cross-country comparison. 8 Future analyses should explore whether the benefits of producing RUTF in developing countries outweigh the opportunity cost of supplying less RUTF due to higher prices.…”

“…A recent study has estimated potential demand for RUTF to be worth about US$9.1 billion over the next decade. 8 While it is unlikely that this level of demand can be financed in full, it is highly probable that the RUTF market will continue to expand in the coming years.…”

“…Compared to other child health and nutrition interventions, treatment of SAM remains relatively expensive with the cost of RUTF accounting for a large proportion of the total cost. 8 Despite concerns that the high cost can limit the expansion of SAM treatment programs, no studies to date have systematically examined the determinants of RUTF prices. This article offers the first analysis of factors associated with prices of RUTF, focusing on competition in general and tendering in particular.…”