Improving "Last Mile" Supply Chains for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods

Action Against Hunger is an international humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger. Through a system known as integrated community case management (iCCM) and nutrition, the organization seeks to expand the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM)—a leading cause of death among children under the age of five. SAM can be treated in outpatient settings with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), such as Plumpy’Nut, which is difficult to transport. Action Against Hunger engaged a Capstone team to develop recommendations for how iCCM supply chains could be strengthened to support RUTF in remote, rural, or humanitarian contexts to ensure that patients receive the life-saving medicine. The team conducted a literature review and key informant interviews with logisticians, researchers, and program specialists in order to identify common challenges and possible means for improving drug management across settings. Based on its findings, the team drafted an innovative research proposal to field test its idea.