RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) is a vitamin and mineral fortified peanut paste mixed with dry milk products. It has been heralded by Doctors Without Borders as a miracle cure for children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. These are children whose malnutrition is so acute that the most likely prognosis is death. RUTF can bring these endangered children back from the brink of death.
RUTF has been revolutionary in treating severe acute malnutrition because it allows SAM to be treated in the community, does not require water, and does not spoil.
What is severe acute malnutrition (SAM)?
SAM is a condition that affects children from the ages of six to 59 months that have an extremely low weight for height measure, visible severe wasting and/or the presence of edema. An estimated 20 million children are currently suffering from SAM. The statistics can be alarming and discouraging, however, SAM is not only preventable, but also treatable. Through the use of RUTF, children have been seen to gain up to one pound per week.
How long does a child need to be treated by RUTF?
Typically, a child needs to eat 10-15kg of RUTF over a period of six to eight weeks. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98% of children treated with RUTF were well nourished after six months and 96% were well nourished after a year. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are vital and can determine that child’s full growth prospects. That is why we must treat these starving children today.
How can I help?
Food For Famine Society purchases Unicef-approved RUTF products and provides them free of charge to children in need. Thanks to the valued partnership of World Vision, who manages all the distribution of the product, the Food For Famine Society can ensure that 100% of your donation goes directly to those children in need.
