Eleanor Crook Foundation and CRI Foundation Partner with Action Against Hunger to Accelerate Global Uptake of Updated WHO Guidelines on Child Wasting

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF) and CRI Foundation have made a $1.5 million investment with Action Against Hunger to accelerate local adaptation and country-led uptake of the new global malnutrition guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO). Implementation of the newly updated WHO guidelines has the potential to dramatically reduce global child deaths through the application of updated evidence on the prevention and treatment of child wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition. CRI Foundation is a co-investor in the partnership with Action Against Hunger, sharing a commitment to translate the guidelines into action and save lives. Their investment will support partnerships for countries in Africa.

Through a multi-country approach, Action Against Hunger will work with the leadership of governments in the Central African Republic, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Tanzania, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic to expedite the adoption of the new WHO guidelines at the national level. Additional countries are being confirmed and may be added to this initiative in the coming months. Action Against Hunger will facilitate a consultative approach aligned with each government's priorities and processes, and engage with each country's network of partners, including UN agencies, to update national wasting policies. This work began at the start of the year and will continue throughout 2024.

Dr. Phonesavanh, Director General of the Laos Ministry of Health, Centre of Nutrition, said: "This is a timely opportunity, as our current National Guidelines [were] written six years ago and our direct users have had several comments on the need to update [them] and align with the global standards. This will be a significant and helpful change in our service delivery as we continue to provide the best lifesaving care for our children, considering the ever-changing clinical practice around the world. We are grateful for the Eleanor Crook Foundation and Action Against Hunger for taking this much needed initiative and the support from our development partners."

In Tanzania, Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe, Director of Preventive Services, stated: "The project is very well aligned to the National priorities, and it is very important to include all small and big nutrition stakeholders during the guidelines review process."

The WHO released the guideline update on the Prevention and Management of Wasting and Nutrition Oedema in 2023. A decade had passed since the last issuance of WHO wasting guidelines. During that time, transformative research on the prevention and treatment of wasting was conducted, significantly advancing the evidence base to more effectively address this pervasive global problem. ECF highlights the most striking recommendations in a blog post here.

The guidelines arrived at a crucial moment; 45 million children around the world are currently estimated to suffer from wasting, and the crisis has deepened in recent years due to the effects of climate change, conflict, and global economic volatility. ECF, along with others, contributed funding for the guideline development process; funders did not participate in any decisions related to WHO's process or recommendations.

The WHO guidelines inspired great interest from government stakeholders around the world, and in response, ECF issued a call for expressions of interest to expedite adoption in interested countries. Action Against Hunger is well positioned to undertake this work, as their staff have extensive experience in conducting evaluations of national wasting programs and assisting national governments in reviewing and updating their processes for treating child wasting.

"The creation of the new WHO Wasting Guidelines is a significant milestone for those in the nutrition space and presents a unique opportunity to holistically prevent and treat wasting through the adoption of evidence-based practices," said Tobias Stillman, Director, Technical Services, Action Against Hunger-USA. "It's critical that key implementers, like Action Against Hunger, seize this moment to push for rapid uptake of the new guidelines to save lives, and we are grateful for our partners ECF and the CRI Foundation who share this sense of urgency."

"The updated WHO guidelines offer new possibilities for delivering life-saving wasting treatment and prevention more effectively and efficiently, once operationalized," said Will Moore, CEO of ECF. "ECF is thrilled to partner with Action Against Hunger, working under the leadership of national governments, to put action behind these improved malnutrition treatment procedures. Now is the time to scale up these revised approaches – because the sooner we put new policies into place, the more children's lives will be saved today and in generations to come."

About the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF):
The Eleanor Crook Foundation is a growing U.S. philanthropy fighting to end global malnutrition through research, policy analysis, and advocacy.

About Action Against Hunger: 
For 45 years, Action Against Hunger has led the global movement to end hunger, for everyone, for good. Action Against Hunger innovates solutions, advocates for change, and reaches 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs.

About CRI Foundation:
CRI is a private foundation with the mission of improving the lives of the world's ultra poor.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Eleanor Crook Foundation
Nyequai Harte, Associate Director of Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE The Eleanor Crook Foundation