Increasing the Coverage of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) Treatment in Ethiopia

Description

The R-SWITCH intervention aims to address the low coverage of treatment for severe wasting (SAM) by leveraging existing community groups to deliver an integrated package focused on prevention, screening, referral, and treatment of SAM. It includes behavior change communication on child nutrition and health, active screening, improved passive screening at health posts, and follow-up of referred cases and those enrolled in outpatient treatment programs (OTP). The primary objectives of the R-SWITCH studies are to assess the intervention's impact on OTP coverage, identify implementation barriers and facilitators, and evaluate its cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Interventions

• R-SWITCH integrated intervention package (Behavioral)
  1. Monthly group meetings of Alliance for Development (AFD) community groups) and their members (caregivers of children 0-59 months of age): * Introduction and refresher of Family-led MUAC * Active screening of wasting by AFD * Group SBCC on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) with a focus on SAM * Promotion of health services such as GMP 2. Introduction of weight-for-age Z-score \<-3 as screening criterion for passive screening by health extension workers at any contact with children (e.g. during GMP) 3. Promotion of Family-led MUAC screening and SAM awareness to fathers during male agricultural/pastoralist extension activities and by community and religious leaders (creating social support) 4. Follow-up and counselling during home visits by AFD leaders of i) earlier referred cases of SAM, ii) cases enrolled in SAM OTP, iii) and recovered SAM cases discharged from OTP 5. Strengthening communication between HEW and AFDs

Eligibility criteria

Conditions

Locations

• Kersa and Jeldessa woredas — Jimma, Ethiopia