Effectiveness of decentralizing outpatient acute malnutrition treatment with community health workers and a simplified combined protocol: a cluster randomized controlled trial in emergency settings of Mali.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition is usually centralized in health centers and separated into different programs according to case severity. This complicates case detection, care delivery, and supply chain management, making it difficult for families to access treatment. This study assessed the impact of treating severe and moderate cases in the same program using a simplified protocol and decentralizing treatment outside health centers through community health workers (CHWs).

Methods

A three-armed cluster randomized controlled trial under a non-inferiority hypothesis was conducted in the Gao region of Mali involving 2,038 children between 6 and 59 months of age with non-complicated acute malnutrition. The control arm consisted of 549 children receiving s

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Ejeda N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10915236 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature