DISCLAIMER: Please note that this IPC Acute Malnutrition analysis was integrated with an IPC Acute Food Insecurity analysis.

Overall, an estimated 531,000 cases of children aged 6-59 months and 98,400 cases of pregnant and lactating women require treatment for acute malnutrition.

Population estimates August - November 2020

• Strengthen screening for acute malnutrition and prepositioning of nutrition commodities in the context of IPC COVID-19 guidelines, for example: family Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC).
• Scale-up rollout of family MUAC for sustained early identification, referral, enrolment and treatment of malnourished children.
• Make behaviour change communication interventions to improve health-seeking behaviours.
• Scale-up community sensitization on Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition practices through innovations such as Rapid pro.
• Scale-up nutrition counselling/messaging at the community level using the BFCI model adapted to COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures.
• Scale-up cash transfer/safety net program in the country to cover all risk groups and cushion them from COVID-19-related shocks.
• Design/model and implement risk-informed nutrition resilience programs at the community level.
• Strengthen sequencing, layering, and integration of nutrition-specific interventions with nutrition-sensitive interventions.
• Invest in alternative sources of livelihoods that will promote food security and dietary diversity in the community.
• Promote multi-sectoral engagement and collaboration to ensure coordinated efforts and synergy to address acute malnutrition.
• Invest in infrastructure, such as roads, to promote accessibility to markets, improvement of water facilities and health facility structures.