Therapeutic food: Care to the last mile

To treat severe acute malnutrition in children effectively, it is not enough simply to have treatment services available at health centres. Essential nutritional products must also be available in the right place at the right time, including in the most hard-to-reach areas.

In the Far North region of Cameroon, the Government of Canada and UNICEF are helping to strengthen the supply chain for essential nutritional supplies, including the provision of 10,000 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF).

These products play a vital role in the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, in accordance with treatment protocols. Their availability in health centres enables healthcare teams to provide eligible children with the nutritional treatment they need to recover.

But the challenge goes beyond simply supplying healthcare facilities. In a region where some communities are located far from health centres, it is just as important to ensure that supplies reach the ‘last kilometre’.

Strengthening this supply chain is therefore aimed at improving the ongoing availability of therapeutic products, supporting the continuity of nutritional services and facilitating access to treatment for children living in the most vulnerable areas.

Behind every box of therapeutic food lies a crucial issue: ensuring that a child diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition receives the treatment they need, without any interruptions caused by a lack of supplies.

Thanks to support from the Government of Canada through the Child Nutrition Fund, UNICEF is helping to strengthen the mechanisms for the procurement and distribution of nutritional products in the Far North.

Because every child must have access to the treatment they need, wherever they live, strengthening the supply chain right down to the last kilometre is a vital part of the fight against severe acute malnutrition.

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