Treatment of MAM children age 6-59 months and pregnant  lactating women Afghanistan is suffering from very high prevalence of under-nutrition especially among the most vulnerable groups of population, children under-5 and pregnant amp women. According to recent nutrition surveys, 25 out of 34 provinces are currently above the emergency level threshold of acute malnutrition based on WHO classification of wasting rates for children under the age of five (global acute malnutrition (GAM) ≥10 per cent with aggravating factors). 

To prevent further deterioration in the nutritional status of malnourished children under-5 and pregnant lactating, it is important to urgently provide the required malnutrition treatment services. Therefore, as part of broader nutrition cluster response WFP in collaboration with UNICEF and in partnership with relevant BPHS and none-BPHS NGOs is providing nutrition treatment services to moderately malnourished children and PLW to rehabilitate their nutritional status and prevent them from further deterioration to severe malnutrition. 

Currently WFP is supporting targeted supplementary feeding/OPD-MAM for treatment of moderate acute malnourished children and PLW in all 25 HRP prioritized provinces. However, due to insufficient resources, a lot of malnourished children and PLW are left with no treatment support. The funding from AHF 1st allocation will enable WFP to increase the OPD-MAM (TSFP) coverage in 10 hard to reach districts of 3 HRP priority provinces with the lowest coverage (Farah, Faryab, Maidan-Wardak) and reach more MAM children and PLW. The nutrition data showing high GAM rates in the mentioned 3 provinces, GAM (Global Acute Malnutrition) prevalence ranging from 14% minimum to maximum of more than 20%, under-nutrition in pregnant and lactating women up to 38%. These are all above the WHO emergency threshold hence the need to ensure steady and continued nutrition assistance without any interruption to the lifesaving support. Therefore, in line with nutrition cluster priorities the response should focus on treatment of acute malnutrition.

WFP’s Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programmes (TSFPs) – or Outpatient Department of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (OPD-MAM) is an integral component of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM). The TSFPs (OPD-MAM) are integrated with UNICEF’s supported Outpatient and Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Programmes (OPD-SAM, IPD-SAM), whenever and wherever possible, with linkages from the community to health facilities, ensuring that acute malnourished children and PLW can be identified early and treated in their homes using specialized nutritious foods. WFP’s TSFPs (OPD-MAM) maximize the impact of IMAM by treating children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) before they become severely malnourished and malnourished pregnant amp lactating women thereby significantly reducing the burden on SAM treatment and health system in general. 

This proposal focusing on the procurement of specialized nutritious foods for treatment of moderate acute malnourished children and PLW (Pregnant and Lactating Women) in the prioritized provinces and districts. With the US$ 1,002,946 from AHF 1st Standard Allocation WFP will procure 113 mt RUSF and 256.3 mt Supercereal, this quantity can cover the treatment requirement of 12,555 MAM children and 6,834 malnourished pregnant and lactating women in the above-mentioned priority areas.

WFP is expecting shortage of RUSF and Supercereal for treatment of MAM children and acute malnourished PLW (Pregnant and Lactating Women) around mid-year and the SNFs from AHF 1st Standard Allocation will contribute to fill the gap partially. 

As soon as the funding proposal is approved, WFP will take advantage of its Global Commodity Management facility for advance financing and start commodity procurement to reduce procurement lead time. Additionally, WFP may also consider prioritizing the existing stocks in locations with the highest burden of malnutrition within the priority provinces.