UK-funded therapeutic food to help treat 3,500 children with severe malnutrition

Savannakhet, Lao PDR, 2 November 2026 – The UK Government and UNICEF handed over 3,500 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to The Ministry of Health of the Lao PDR in Savannakhet Province. The handover is part of GBP 200,000 (US$268,097) in UK Aid support to three provinces, which will help treat 3,500 children under the age of 5 with severe acute malnutrition. Savannakhet is one of three priority provinces receiving UK-funded RUTF in 2026, alongside Saravan and Sekong. 

“Severe acute malnutrition is treatable, and no child in Lao PDR should die from it. This support will save lives today, and the Ministry of Health will keep working with our partners to make sure that care reaches every child who needs it,” Dr. Vannasay Sattakoun, Vice Minister of Health of the Lao PDR. 

“With this support from the United Kingdom and UNICEF, our health workers in Savannakhet can reach more children with life-saving care close to home. Savannakhet carries one of the heaviest burdens of children with severe acute malnutrition in the country, so this support is very timely and crucial to ensure that children receive the care they need,” said Mr. Thongsay Sayyavongkhamdy, Vice Governor of Savannakhet Province and Chair of the Provincial Nutrition Committee.  

RUTF is an energy-dense paste fortified with the vitamins and minerals a severely wasted child’s body urgently needs to recover. Often described as a ‘wonder food’, it needs no cooking or mixing with water and can be eaten straight from the sachet. This means most children can recover at home with their families, guided by trained health workers, rather than in hospital. 

“Treating severe malnutrition saves lives, and it is one of the most effective investments we can make in a child’s future. The UK is proud to support this handover and to stand with the Government of Lao PDR, UNICEF and the health workers who are bringing care closer to children in Savannakhet,” said Her Excellency Jemima Gordon-Duff, UK Ambassador to Lao PDR. 

Wasting among children under five in Lao PDR rose from 5.9 per cent in 2011–12 to 10.7 per cent in 2023, a level the World Health Organization classifies as “high.” The situation in Savannakhet is even more serious: according to the third Lao Social Indicator Survey (LSIS-III, 2023), 16.4 per cent of children under five in the province are wasted, and 4.3 per cent are severely wasted. 

Nationally, an estimated 55,000 children suffer from severe wasting each year, yet fewer than 12 per cent receive life-saving treatment. This is a critical gap, as children with severe acute malnutrition are around 12 times more likely to die than well-nourished children. 

“We are deeply grateful to the United Kingdom for this support. Our shared goal is a Lao PDR where every child with severe malnutrition can get the care they need, backed by sustainable national financing,” said Mr Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, UNICEF Country Representative to Lao PDR. 

UNICEF manages the country’s only RUTF supply pipeline, so any break in supply puts children at risk. Without RUTF, health workers must rely on alternatives that are not designed to treat severe acute malnutrition and are far less effective. This increases the risk that a child’s condition worsens, requires hospital care, or becomes life-threatening. 

Following the handover, the delegation will visit Atsaphangthong District, one of the first districts to roll out community-based management of acute malnutrition.