Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment of Wasting in Children 0-59 Months through National Health Systems in the Context of COVID-19

This tool has been developed by UNICEF and WHO to implement the recommendations of existing guidance on the delivery of services through national health care systems for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of child wasting in the context of COVID-19.

Context-specific adaptions of the recommendations may be necessary; the tool offers specific examples of such interim programmatic adaptations to ensure the continuity and safety of prevention and treatment services.  Food-assistance programs are critical to many vulnerable households, and child wasting is significantly impacted by their discontinuation in the context of the pandemic. These issues have also been addressed in the guidance.