Effectiveness of Local Food Solutions for the Prevention of Acute Malnutrition in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia (ELOFSAM)

Mekelle University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Acute Malnutrition in Childhood

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Bahgina; Dietary Supplement: SQLNS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06103084

MUCHS

Details and patient eligibility

About

The lack of diversified and enriched complementary foods is one of the key causes of the high burden of acute malnutrition among 6-23 months old children in Ethiopia. Thus, a new innovative way of diversifying and enriching complementary foods is essential in communities where vulnerable populations are likely to have nutrient gaps in their typical diets and multiple micronutrient deficiencies. The purpose of this project is to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of locally produced cereal based foods (LP-CBFs) and small quantity lipid based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) as preventive interventions to effectively reduce the burden of acute malnutrition among 6-23 months old children in the post conflict settings of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Enrollment: 7,530 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 23 months old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All 6-23 months old children

Exclusion criteria

• 6-23 months old children with severe acute malnutrition.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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7,530 participants in 3 patient groups

Bahgina group

Experimental group

Description:

The Bahgina treatment group will be supplemented with Bahgina, a locally produced cereal based product for a maximum of six months at 200g/day.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Bahgina

SQLNS group

Experimental group

Description:

The small quantity lipid based nutrient supplements (SQLNS) group will be provided with 20g of SQLNS/day for a maximum of six months.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: SQLNS

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will get nothing except the routine nutrition services and products provided by the local government sectors.