Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) are nutrient-dense food products used to treat severe malnutrition. In developing countries like Haiti, these resources make a world of difference. On our blog, we’ve shared about the struggle with kwashiorkor in many of our Haitian communities. Treating kwashiorkor requires careful and gradual reintroduction of essential nutrients, especially protein, into the child’s diet, and this process must be closely monitored to avoid refeeding syndrome—a dangerous condition that can occur when malnourished patients receive too many nutrients too quickly.1 That’s where therapeutic foods like RUTF come in.

What It Is
RUTF is a specific type of therapeutic food that falls under the broader category of Mother Administered Nutritive Aid (MANA). RUTF is protein-dense and contains vitamins and minerals essential to treating malnutrition. RUTFs usually come in individual packets and are designed to be ready to use without additional preparation or cooking.

How It Helps

1. Nutritional Treatment: RUTF provides the essential nutrients malnourished children need for recovery. It fills the gap left by lack of food resources.

2. Community-Based Medical Care: These products allow our clinic staff to treat malnourished children locally, often without needing hospitalization. This community-based approach allows more children to receive treatment.

3. Prevention: RUTF can also act as preventive care for children who are otherwise at risk for malnutrition.

4. Long Shelf Life: The long shelf life of these products allows for stockpiling and distribution in areas where access to fresh and nutritious food is limited.

In addition to providing RUTF in Haiti through our partnership with MANA Nutrition, we also partner with CURE Pharmaceutical to supply electrolyte strips, which treat cholera and dehydration. All of this has been possible over the last year because of Missionary Flights International, who has provided a way for us to circumvent the ports and ship supplies by air. These products have changed the way we deal with malnutrition in Haiti. RUTFs allow us an opportunity to treat malnutrition quickly and effectively, while long-term, they provide a way to stop malnutrition before it starts. Our last year in Haiti brought many challenges—but thanks to resources like these, we have also seen many opportunities to step in and make a difference for good.

1. D. Persaud-Sharma, S. Saha, and A. W. Trippensee, “Refeeding Syndrome,” StatPearls Publishing, November 7, 2022, Accessed December 2, 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564513/.

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