Negotiating USAID: Budgeting Refugee Camp Malnutrition

1. Negotiating USAID: Budgeting Refugee Camp Malnutrition Eric Frenkil & Amina Ben Mansour Abstract NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders insist that malnutrition continues in refugee camps not due to the quantity of calories consumed but because of the unmet nutritional needs of the population. Two forms of malnutrition – protein-energy and micronutrient – are prevalent in refugee camps, each represented by an interest group that believes one type should be addressed first. With a limited USAID budget only one type can receive priority. In this scenario, the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) must decide which form of malnutrition to tackle. Each interest group agrees on the basic concept that human lives are of equal value. Therefore, the decision will be made based on the efficiency of solutions; the maximum quantity of people must be saved. One likely option for the negotiation is that further study is needed to determine which form of malnutrition can be combated most effectively. Introduction According to the UN World Food Program, there are 400 million hungry children in the world. Besides the risk of death, children who are starving are at risk of malnutrition, and malnourished kids do not develop normally. Malnutrition is defined as the lack of nutrients necessary for people’s bodies to grow and stay healthy. Someone can be malnourished for a long or short period of time, and the condition may be mild or severe. Malnutrition can affect a person's physical and mental health. There are mainly two common types of malnutrition: protein-energy malnutrition (including kwashiorkor and marasmus) and micronutrient malnutrition. Protein-energy malnutrition is usually caused by inadequate caloric or protein intake. Chronic diarrhea, renal dysfunction, infection, hemorrhage, trauma, burns, and critical illness can all contribute to protein-energy malnutrition. Among the countries that actively fight malnutrition in refugee camps, the US distributes considerable amounts of food and money every year. However, this does could be done in a more efficient way. Therefore, establishing a negotiation and cooperation between different support groups (like the Iron Disorders Institute and the World Aquaculture Fund), mediated by the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), would certainly lead to more efficiency in solving this urgent world problem. Negotiators The Iron Disorders Institute (irondisorders.org) suggests that micronutrient malnutrition should be addressed first. Meanwhile, the World Aquaculture Fund (worldaquacultureinstitute.net) contends that protein-energy malnutrition should be the primary focus. Mediator The Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) is responsible for making USAID recommendations. The members of the ACVFA are not elected but selected based on scholarly merit. Interests • Improve quality of life and reduce health care costs. • Assist in the alleviation of malnutrition-related disease. • Adopt a new scientific approach wherein government and scientists work together. • Reduce cost of preventing malnutrition fatalities. • Save the maximum number of lives possible. • Promote research regarding malnutrition. Objective The criterion is efficiency – how many lives can be saved per USD spent. While both the Iron Criteria Disorders Institute and the World Aquaculture Fund believe their subcategory of malnutrition is most important to address, each side agrees on the basic criterion of maximizing the number of lives saved Options • Focus on protein-energy malnutrition in refugee camps. • Focus on micronutrient malnutrition in refugee camps. • More research is necessary. Sources Iron Disorders Institute, http://www.irondisorders.com. Medecins Sans Frontieres, “MSF Warns More Food Will Not Save Malnourished Children,” October 10, 2007, http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/pr/2007/10-10-2007.cfm.   Nemours Foundation, “Hunger and Malnutrition,” TeensHealth, http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/hunger.html. Rowe, Jocelyn, "About ACVFA," USAID, http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/acvfa. Tharp, Rick, RxKinetics Pharmacy,http://www.rxkinetics.com/tpntutorial/1_2.html. World Aqua Culture Institute, http://www.worldaquacultureinstitute.com. ?