Published today, the information note entitled Severe wasting: A silenced emergency that threatens the survival of children shows that, in the face of rising rates of severe childhood wasting and rising costs of treatment for this condition, the global funding needed to save the lives of affected children is also at risk.

“Before the war in Ukraine affected global food security, families were already struggling to feed their children due to conflict, climate shocks and COVID-19,” said Catherine Russell, Managing Director of the Fund. of the United Nations for children. “The world is now on the verge of an explosion in preventable child deaths and childhood wasting.”

Currently, at least 10 million severely wasted children – two-thirds – do not have access to ready-to-use therapeutic foods, which are the most effective treatment for this condition.

Sharply rising prices

According to theUNICEFthe combined effects of global shocks, which are undermining global food security – namely, the war in Ukraine, the difficulties of economic recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic and the persistent drought in several countries in due to climate change – are creating the conditions for a significant rise in rates of severe wasting across the world.

According to projections, the price of ready-to-use therapeutic foods is expected to register up to 16% increase over the next six months due to soaring raw material costs. A situation that risks depriving up to 600,000 more children of this life-saving treatment, given current funding levels. Shipping and distribution costs, which are also high, are not expected to fall either.

“Each year, the lives of millions of children depend on this therapeutic sachet preparation. If global food markets seem capable of absorbing an additional 16% cost, it is the life of a seriously undernourished child who, at the end of the supply chain, is put at risk by such an increase. However, for this child, the stakes are unacceptable,” added Catherine Russell.

Characterized by extreme thinness in relation to height due to a weakened immune system, severe wasting is the most immediate, visible and deadly form of malnutrition. Worldwide, at least 13.6 million children under the age of 5 suffer from this disease, which is responsible for one fifth of deaths in this age group.

The Sahel particularly affected

South Asia remains the “epicenter” of severe wasting, where about 1 in 22 children are affected, a rate three times higher than in sub-Saharan Africa. Elsewhere in the world, severe wasting is also reaching historically high rates in various countries. In Afghanistan, for example, 1.1 million children are at risk of severe wasting this year, almost double compared to 2018.

In the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, the number of severely wasted children could quickly rise from 1.7 million to 2 million, while a 26% increase is expected in the Sahel compared to 2018.

The report also highlights that some relatively stable countries, such as Uganda, have seen an increase of 40% or more in cases of childhood wasting since 2016. This situation is explained by the worsening poverty and family food insecurity, which has the effect of affecting the quality and frequency of meals for children and pregnant women. In addition, climate-related shocks such as cycles of intense drought and problems accessing safe water supply and sanitation services contribute to the increase in the number of cases.

The report also warns of the severe lack of funding for wasting, knowing that a sharp decline is expected in the coming years with little hope of a return to pre-pandemic levels before 2028. a new analysis conducted as part of this note, global spending on wasting represents just 2.8% of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget allocated to the health sector in general and 0.2 % of total ODA amount.

So that every child suffering from severe wasting can benefit from life-saving treatment, UNICEF asks that:

• Governments increase aid for wasting by at least 59% over 2019 ODA levels, aiming to reach all children in need of treatment in 23 high-burden countries ;
• Countries are integrating the treatment of child wasting into long-term health and development funding plans, so that all children – even those not in a humanitarian crisis – can benefit from the treatment programs;
• Budgetary allocations to address the global food crisis routinely include dedicated funds for therapeutic foods to meet the immediate needs of children suffering from severe wasting;
• Donors and civil society organizations are elevating the fight against wasting as a funding priority to ensure the diversification, expansion and strength of the financial support ecosystem.

“Nothing can justify a child suffering from severe wasting – especially since we have the possibility of preventing this pathology. We have very little time left to relaunch global action for the prevention, detection and treatment of malnutrition, and we must absolutely use it before the situation takes on even more dramatic proportions”, concluded Catherine Russell.