Hi All, Integrating a CMAM program into MOH's national healthcare programs is a big challenge in most, if not all, the countries we work in. One of the main gaps for a sustainable integration is RUTF procurement. Even when it's locally produced someone has to pay for the raw products, production, packaging etc. In most cases external donors, IO, NGOs are paying the bill. My question to you is about cases where the local Government, is regularly paying for RUTF. I'll be the first one to answer based on my experience: among the countries I've worked in, only Angola, had committed to purchase most of the RUTF needed for the CMAM program, but eventually only a fraction of was actually purchased leaving the program with insufficient stock. I'd like to recall that Angola is an upper-middle income country (like Albania), with a limited SAM caseload. In another case, in DR Congo, local production of RUTF was halted due to financial constraints, as taxation was too high and production not profitable. I wonder whether the GVT could have at least granted a tax exemption as RUTF is among the essential drugs. Since then DRC is again importing RUTF and the usual humanitarian actors are paying the bill. I would like to hear from you of any positive experience of a full integration of CMAM including the financial cost for therapeutic food. Thanks!
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