Summary:\

• Nutritional Rehabilitation Homes (NRHs) in several districts, including Butwal (Lumbini Province), Rajbiraj (Saptari), and remote areas like Bajura (Sudurpaschim Province), are facing severe shortages of crucial therapeutic food supplies such as F-75, F-100 milk formulas, and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
• These therapeutic foods are essential for treating severe acute malnutrition in children under five. Without them, healthcare workers have been improvising with substitutes like buffalo milk, porridge, and lentil soup, which lack the scientifically balanced nutrients needed for rapid recovery.
• The shortage has lasted for months—since early 2025 in many places—and is due to procurement delays caused by disputes over pricing and tendering processes at the federal level.
• As a result, about 40,000 severely malnourished children nationwide are at risk. Some children’s recovery is slow or compromised; in extreme cases like Bajura, lack of therapeutic foods contributed to child deaths.
• The problem affects multiple NRHs with limited bed capacity and catchment areas covering neighboring districts.
• Local health officials have repeatedly requested supplies from the central health authorities but have not received adequate support.
• Despite budget availability, the Department of Health Services has failed to procure these essential nutritional supplements on time due to administrative issues such as tender delays, price manipulation concerns, staff transfers, and coordination gaps.
• The shortage also extends to other essential medicines and supplements like Vitamin A, iron tablets, anti-rabies vaccines, and contraceptive implants.
• The World Health Organization classifies F-75, F-100, and RUTF as life-saving treatments for severe acute malnutrition.
• The article highlights a disconnect between provincial health supply centers claiming no shortage and the actual crisis on the ground.

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