Wasting is a public health problem and is an important contributing factor to morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years. For the management of children with severe wasting it is desirable to have a community- based and a facility-based component, so that children with severe acute malnourished with no complications can be treated in the community, while those with complications can be referred to an inpatient treatment facility with trained staff. Community based management of SAM is also required for continuing the management of SAM children discharged from the health facility.

Supervised Supplementary Feeding Program (SSFP) is an initiative taken by the women development and Child Welfare department Telangana, to tackle the high prevalence of wasting among children aged 6 months to 59 months. The DWCD and Health department is started Supervised Supplementary Feeding Program in KB- Asifabad and J-Gadwal districts in collaboration with ICMR-NIN Hyderabad. In this program a new food called Balamrutham + is being introduced which is going to be given to Children with SAM and MAM, and is produced and supplied by the government owned enterprises TS Foods.

The Supplementary Supervised Feeding Program (SSFP) is focused on early identification of cases and making services accessible at community level by providing Balamrutham + with required medical care, referrals to facility and helping in the recovery process of children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition. The broader activities carried out under Supervised Supplementary Feeding Program are following-

• Anthropometric assessment
• Medical assessment
• Appetite Test
• Decide level of care (SAM Children with Medical complication to be referred to health facility/NRC for further care and treatment) MAM & SAM Children without medical complication managed at community level.
• Nutritional Treatment (Only Balamrutham + can be given to children with SAM & MAM and Food as per schedule and encouraged consumption of home based energy dense food)
• Medicines (SAM children only)
• Nutrition and Health Education
• Fortnightly SSFP visit to AWC to monitor the child progress and providing Balamrutham Plus based on the weight of the child.
• Discharge from the SSFP- (For MAM it is 8 week and for SAM it is 16 week) based on recovery in weight.
• Follow up after discharge from SSFP till the end of six months.

• Handbook for AWTs and ANMs
• SSFP MANUAL - ENGLISH
• SSFP MAM CARD
• SSFP SAM CARD
• WFL-Zscore WHO reference chart
• WFH-Zscore WHO reference chart
• Posters -- Complementary Feeding
• Posters -- Danger Signs-assessment
• Posters -- Hand Washing
• Posters -- Meal Plan
• Posters -- Nutritional Care-Balamrutham+ feeding
• Posters -- Roles and responsibilities
• Posters -- Screening Protocol