The Eleanor Crook Foundation and Mana Nutrition Applaud the U.S. Government's Continued Leadership in Combating Child Malnutrition with $200 Million Commitment for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food

FITZGERALD, Ga., May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power forged ahead in the fight against child malnutrition by announcing a $200 million investment in the procurement and distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) – a lifesaving, peanut-based medical food that treats children suffering from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition. The Administrator made the announcement at Mana Nutrition's RUTF manufacturing facility in Fitzgerald, Georgia, where three million packets of RUTF are produced daily using American peanuts.

The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF), a U.S.-based private philanthropy dedicated to ending global malnutrition, was present at Mana to celebrate Administrator Power's announcement. Philanthropist Chris Hohn was also in attendance and affirmed a $50 million investment to bring RUTF to children around the world, which builds on his past investments and history of leadership in the fight against malnutrition, including $200 million of support to Mana's facilities and operations.

45 million children currently suffer from wasting, and this global crisis has escalated in recent years due to conflicts, the effects of climate change, and worldwide economic volatility. Humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, and other high-burden countries have also increased the urgency to reach children who are in emergency situations that have caused famine or near-famine conditions. Worldwide, child wasting claims the lives of one in five children under the age of five. But wasting is treatable if children are provided RUTF. This shelf-stable product is made from peanuts, milk powder, oil, sugar, and a blend of nutrients. It costs less than $1 a day to treat a child with RUTF – and it is remarkably effective, with recovery rates up to 90 percent.

Today's announcement follows USAID's historic investment in RUTF in 2022, the largest ever single investment in wasting treatment, which included related commitments from a diverse coalition of public and private partners. That combined investment led to UNICEF's greatest malnutrition response on record, when the agency reached 7.3 million children suffering from wasting with RUTF in 2023 – a 35 percent increase from the year prior. The Administrator's announcement in Fitzgerald continues this momentum, and serves as a reminder that donor governments, philanthropies, and nongovernmental agencies must work together to maintain these gains and further expand coverage, so that every child who needs RUTF has access to it.

Prior to today's press conference, Administrator Power toured Mana's new facility with Hohn and Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA-08). The new facility is the culmination of two years of planning, engineering, and construction, and has the capacity to make millions of RUTF packets each day. Peanut farmers, community leaders, and Mana employees were also in attendance to celebrate the announcement. 

"It was an honor to host Administrator Power for a tour of Mana's expanding Fitzgerald RUTF facility, and for our factory to serve as the site of her announcement, which continues the commitment to our collective fight against child malnutrition," said Mark Moore, Founder and CEO of Mana. "At Mana we like to say, 'We are the village.' This U.S. government investment in RUTF, like the one before it, can save millions of the most vulnerable children in our global village – and it will enable Mana to draw upon the strength of our local village in Georgia, which proudly supplies the workforce and key ingredients required to produce RUTF."

ECF also commends this announcement. As part of its ongoing commitment to optimizing wasting treatment and expanding coverage, ECF recently launched a partnership with Action Against Hunger to accelerate local adaptation and country-led uptake of the new World Health Organization wasting guidelines. The new guidelines include recommendations on treating children with reduced dosages of RUTF and guidance on treating children who are classified as "moderately wasted" with RUTF, among others. ECF has also made investments in countries such as Senegal to combat child wasting.

"Every 11 seconds, a child dies of malnutrition – a heartbreaking reality that we can put an end to. RUTF offers children suffering from severe malnutrition a chance not only to survive, but to thrive. Today, USAID has taken historic steps to invest in RUTF, which means millions of kids will get the treatment they need," said Kim Cernak, Managing Director of ECF. "We commend USAID for continuing to take leadership on the issue of deadly malnutrition, and we commend Congress for asserting U.S. commitment to a healthier and more secure world. We know that when we join together, we make progress that positively impacts lives around the globe. We urge all donors to sustain this momentum with additional support for RUTF, so that every child who needs this lifesaving treatment can get it."

About the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF):
The Eleanor Crook Foundation is a growing U.S. philanthropy fighting to end global malnutrition through research, policy analysis, and advocacy.

About Mana
Mana Nutrition is a non-profit producer of RUTF and other lifesaving products for UNICEF, USAID and the WFP in the fight against malnutrition. Mana owns and operates 500,000 square feet of facilities in Fitzgerald, GA, and at the port in Savannah, GA.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Eleanor Crook Foundation
Nyequai Harte, Associate Director of Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE The Eleanor Crook Foundation