Management of Wasting

Wasting or acute malnutrition is a life-threatening condition, increasing the risk of death and serious illness. It occurs as a result of recent rapid weight loss or a failure to gain weight, most often caused by severe nutritional restrictions, a recent bout of illness, inappropriate childcare practices or a combination of these factors. It is characterised by extreme weight loss, resulting in low weight for height, and/or low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) with or without the presence of bilateral oedema. While global efforts have focused on providing treatment for wasted children, particularly in humanitarian crisis, access to treatment remains unacceptably low, and urgent attention is needed to develop and scale-up solutions for both the treatment and prevention of wasting.