Scaling up the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) approach

Highlights

One in 12 Indonesian children under five years is estimated to be wasted (too thin compared to their height/length). Wasted (moderate wasting and severe wasting) children are three times more likely to become stunted, with those with severe wasting having almost 12 times greater risk of dying than a healthy child.  Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) can successfully treat over 85 to 90 per cent of severely wasted children at home without requiring hospitalization, if identified early.  IMAM approach has been endorsed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) following a pilot in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province as a core component of stunting reduction efforts. IMAM services need to be at scale throughout the country with coverage and quality to save the lives of millions of affected children.