Background: Malnutrition rates in Uganda are high, with a significant proportion of children under 5 suffering from chronic and acute malnutrition. Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), known as RUTAFA in Uganda, are increasingly used to treat malnutrition, with the WHO recommending their use.Rapid Response Question: What is the evidence for the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of Ready-To-Use Feeds?Findings: The literature indicates that RUTF is generally efficacious, effective, and safe for treating and preventing malnutrition in children and adults. Studies confirm the efficacy of locally produced RUTF compared to imported products, and RUTF has shown high recovery rates in children with malnutrition. RUTF is also effective in preventing different forms of wasting in children. However, RUTF may not be safe for children with moderately acute malnutrition due to its high nutrient concentration.Conclusion: RUTF is a generally effective, safe, and acceptable intervention for treating and preventing several forms of malnutrition, especially severe malnutrition. Key challenges include developing locally produced RUTF that meets international standards, integrating outpatient treatment protocols into international guidelines, and conducting further research on integrating community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition into health systems.
