Perceptions of stakeholders on the use of a simplified, combined protocol for treatment of acute malnutrition in Central African Republic.

Autor: Ngure FM; Nutrition Research Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya., Tausanovitch Z; International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA., Heymsfield GA; International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA., Bebelou SM; Ministry of Health and Population, Bangui, Central African Republic., Seboulo P; Ministry of Health and Population, Bangui, Central African Republic., Tabiojongmbeng B; World Food Program, Bangui, Central African Republic., Dembele AM; United Nations Children's Fund, Bangui, Central African Republic., Coulibaly IN; International Rescue Committee, Bamako, Mali., Nikièma V; World Food Program Regional Bureau for West Africa, Dakar, Senegal., Bailey J; International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA., Kangas ST; International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Maternal & child nutrition [Matern Child Nutr] 2025 Jan; Vol. 21 (1), pp. e13743. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 17.
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13743
Abstrakt: Treatment of acute malnutrition requires novel approaches to improve coverage, reduce costs and improve the efficiency of standard protocols that separate the management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The use of simplified, combined protocols to treat both MAM and SAM has drawn research and policy interest among global, regional and national stakeholders. However, the perspectives of local communities and health care workers regarding the use of protocols to treat acute malnutrition in a routine health care system are generally lacking. This was a cross-sectional mixed-methods study aimed at assessing the perceptions of different stakeholders on the use of a simplified, combined protocol in two districts in the Central African Republic. Most of the respondents preferred the simplified, combined protocol over the standard protocol. They generally agreed that the protocol was easy to understand, allowed more children to receive treatment and was effective in treating acute malnutrition. The protocol modifications were well received, including the expanded admission criteria, use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) only for admission and discharge criteria and reduced and simplified ready-to-use therapeutic food quantity to treat MAM and SAM. Some caregivers expressed concern with the use of MUAC only to declare recovery, flagging that underlying illnesses could still be present. The caregivers recommended the provision of other food basket interventions to improve the treatment. The support by caregivers and health care workers on the idea of training community health volunteers to treat acute malnutrition points to the potential of scaling up decentralized treatment to increase coverage in remote areas.
(© 2024 The Author(s). Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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