IRC's Nutrition for Growth Commitment

The International Rescue Committee is pleased to make a Nutrition for Growth commitment centered on our efforts to expand treatment efforts for child wasting in the fragile and conflict-affected settings where we work. The IRC’s work in nutrition encompasses prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition, and integration of nutrition efforts within early childhood development, food security efforts, and cash programming in humanitarian contexts.The International Rescue Committee envisions a world where all children needing treatment for acute malnutrition can access the care they need. Through collaborative efforts with partners, the IRC will seek to dramatically expand treatment access for acutely malnourished children, building on current research efforts to make treatment easier to deliver, more accessible, and more cost-effective. We will approach this effort through strengthening the global research base on simplified approaches to acute malnutrition treatment, scaling treatment programs to reach more children in need, and providing evidence-based policy recommendations to strengthen national and global nutrition policies.We make the following commitments:Research:The International Rescue Committee has developed and researched simplified approaches for treating children with acute malnutrition, including a simplified, combined protocol for treating children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition together in one program, and delivering treatment through community health workers. Over the coming four years, the IRC will:• Complete a randomized control trial examining the use of simplified approaches for children at high-risk of mortality;• Complete ten operational pilots using simplified approaches for acute malnutrition treatment in different contexts; and • Complete five cost-analyses to build an evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of simplified approaches for acute malnutrition treatment.Programming:By the end of 2025, the International Rescue Committee will: • Provide 1 million children with access to treatment for acute malnutrition.Financing: • The International Rescue Committee commits to engaging key stakeholders for the development of strategies to mobilize the finance needed for acute malnutrition based on the cost estimate for the global action plan, with the express goal of overcoming the multi-billion-dollar funding gap that prevents all children from accessing the care they need. Policy Change:The International Rescue Committee will use its voice, convening power, and influence to help expand access to acute malnutrition treatment. By the end of 2025, the International Rescue Committee’s policy change efforts will have helped ensure:• The incorporation of simplified approaches to treatment in national nutrition plans in at least five countries.