Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39417422›Full record

ArticleMaternal & child nutrition2025

Perceptions of stakeholders on the use of a simplified, combined protocol for treatment of acute malnutrition in Central African Republic.

Francis M Ngure, Zachary Tausanovitch, Grace A Heymsfield, Siolo Mada Bebelou, Parfait Seboulo, Benedict Tabiojongmbeng, Anne Marie Dembele, Issa Niamanto Coulibaly, Victor Nikièma, Jeanette Bailey and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Maternal & child nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Francis M NgureNutrition Research Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya.
Zachary TausanovitchInternational Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA.
Grace A HeymsfieldInternational Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-2614-2215
Siolo Mada BebelouMinistry of Health and Population, Bangui, Central African Republic.
Parfait SebouloMinistry of Health and Population, Bangui, Central African Republic.
Benedict TabiojongmbengWorld Food Program, Bangui, Central African Republic.
Anne Marie DembeleUnited Nations Children's Fund, Bangui, Central African Republic.
Issa Niamanto CoulibalyInternational Rescue Committee, Bamako, Mali.
Victor NikièmaWorld Food Program Regional Bureau for West Africa, Dakar, Senegal.ORCID 0000-0001-8334-8579
Jeanette BaileyInternational Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA.
Suvi T KangasInternational Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA.

Funding

Christina Kirby and Joshua Kulkin FoundationInternational Rescue Committee
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Treatment of acute malnutrition requires novel approaches to improve coverage, reduce costs and improve the efficiency of standard protocols that separate the management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The use of simplified, combined protocols to treat both MAM and SAM has drawn research and policy interest among global, regional and national stakeholders. However, the perspectives of local communities and health care workers regarding the use of protocols to treat acute malnutrition in a routine health care system are generally lacking. This was a cross-sectional mixed-methods study aimed at assessing the perceptions of different stakeholders on the use of a simplified, combined protocol in two districts in the Central African Republic. Most of the respondents preferred the simplified, combined protocol over the standard protocol. They generally agreed that the protocol was easy to understand, allowed more children to receive treatment and was effective in treating acute malnutrition. The protocol modifications were well received, including the expanded admission criteria, use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) only for admission and discharge criteria and reduced and simplified ready-to-use therapeutic food quantity to treat MAM and SAM. Some caregivers expressed concern with the use of MUAC only to declare recovery, flagging that underlying illnesses could still be present. The caregivers recommended the provision of other food basket interventions to improve the treatment. The support by caregivers and health care workers on the idea of training community health volunteers to treat acute malnutrition points to the potential of scaling up decentralized treatment to increase coverage in remote areas.

Indexed as

Severe Acute MalnutritionAdultCaregiversCentral African RepublicChild, PreschoolClinical ProtocolsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMaleMalnutritionStakeholder ParticipationCentral African Republiccombined protocolmid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC)ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF)simplifiedstakeholderstreatment of acute malnutrition

Identifiers

PMID39417422
PMCPMC11650031

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.