The purpose of the IPC Acute Malnutrition Analytical Framework (Figure 10) is to help guide the analysis through a logical outline of the drivers of acute malnutrition. By following the Framework, analysts are able to converge evidence for classifying the severity and identification of key drivers. The Framework is divided into contributing factors and outcomes (Box 79). The contributing factors include basic, immediate and underlying causes of acute malnutrition, and the outcomes are acute malnutrition and mortality. It should be noted that mortality is a higher outcome than acute malnutrition – i.e. being acutely malnourished is a risk factor for mortality. In the IPC Acute Malnutrition analysis, however, the outcome of interest is acute malnutrition.
The IPC Acute Malnutrition Analytical Framework is an adapted version of the UNICEF Conceptual Framework on Malnutrition.
a. Vulnerability, Resources and Control: This is the first component of the basic causes. The five livelihood assets (financial, physical, human, social and natural), policies, institutions and processes, gender, and mitigating factors, all of which in relation to their potential impact on acute malnutrition, are analysed.
b. Acute events or ongoing conditions: This second component of basic causal factors can include natural disasters (e.g. drought, flood, tsunami), socio-economic instability (e.g. volatility in staple food prices, energy or food shortages), conflict (e.g. war, civil unrest), disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS, cholera, malaria) and other events/conditions that can have an impact on Acute Malnutrition.
The result of the interaction of between dietary intake and health status will directly affect the nutritional status of a child; if there is inadequate consumption and/or health status, the child is likely to become acutely malnourished (Box 83). Furthermore, it is recognized that Acute Malnutrition may also lead to mortality, which is a higher-level outcome.