Barriers to access for severe acute malnutrition treatment services in Pakistan and Ethiopia: a comparative qualitative analysis

The objective of the study was to compare the primary barriers that households in Sindh Province, Pakistan, and Tigray region Ethiopia. The main findings displayed that the main barriers in both Ethiopia and Pakistan were related to distance, high opportunity costs, knowledge of services, and knowledge of malnutrition and the child’s refusal of ready-to-use foods. The conclusions of the report state that integration of SAM treatment with other community-based health and nutrition interventions, as is recommended by the United Nations, is important in increasing access to life-saving services and strengthening health systems is key to successful integration. An issue with integration efforts so far is the inadequate attention that has been paid to the community component of the health system, including sensitisation, mobilisation and follow up. Click here to read the full article.