New agreement cuts the price of life-saving malnutrition treatment by 30%, enough to reach a million more children without spending a single new donor dollar

Agreement between the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Indian manufacturer Vista Fortifoods shows affordable procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is achievable

Boston, USA—CHAI has secured a new price of US$32.50 per box for RUTF, the peanut-based paste that is the standard treatment for severe malnutrition in young children—about 30 percent below the average price, and the lowest price available for RUTF today. Indian manufacturer Vista Fortifoods has committed to the price for governments, NGOs, and humanitarian agencies buying for the public sector across dozens of low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with catastrophic hunger up ninefold since 2016 and two famines declared in 2025 alone[i]. At the same time, a collapse in nutrition funding has been projected to cut off nutrition support for 15.6 million people across 18 countries, including more than 2.3 million severely malnourished children[ii].  At this price, even a modest shift—just 10 percent of current spending moving to this rate—would be enough to reach a million more children with treatment, without a single new donor dollar.

“Severe wasting affects around 12 million children worldwide and is one of the leading causes of death in young kids, but it is entirely treatable,” said CHAI CEO Dr. Neil Buddy Shah. “We’ve secured a historic new price for that treatment, 30 percent below the global average and the lowest available anywhere. At that price a million or more children can recover and live healthy lives.”

The price holds for orders of at least 30,000 boxes and is 30 percent below UNICEF’s most recently published global average of US$46.70 per box. Buyers cover their own freight and logistics from Vista’s factory, so total cost will still vary by destination. The lower price doesn’t come with a quality tradeoff: Vista is approved by UNICEF’s Supply Division and produces to UNICEF’s technical specification and Codex food safety guidelines, under certified manufacturing and hygiene standards. CHAI’s focus now is making sure donors, health ministries, and implementing partners know the price exists and use it.

This deal builds directly on CHAI’s work with the Eleanor Crook Foundation, where a 2024 procurement achieved the same 30 percent price reduction. Thanks to that partnership, Ghana has more than doubled the number of malnourished children receiving treatment. This new agreement shows that a substantial reduction in RUTF pricing is not only sustainable but can be scaled to reach more countries.

“We’ve seen what affordable pricing does in practice, which has the effect of ensuring affordable essential medicines, including RUTF,” said Dr. Edward Bright Agyekum, Director, Procurement & Supply Chain Directorate, for Ghana’s Ministry of Health. “Thanks to stronger partnerships including that of suppliers, similar to this, more children in Ghana are receiving life-saving treatment for malnutrition. Children who would have gone untreated due to stockouts related to high pricing, are alive and recovering today. Any country that gets access to a lower price can expect the same kind of impact.”

“Our experience with CHAI in Ghana proved that strategic procurement can dramatically reduce the price of RUTF and help reach more children with lifesaving treatment,” said Dr. Yashodhara Rana, President of Programs, Eleanor Crook Foundation. “This new agreement shows that this success is not limited to Ghana; it can be scaled to other countries, saving more lives and potentially shifting market dynamics for the better.” 

RUTF is the World Health Organization’s recommended first-line treatment for severe wasting, the deadliest form of child malnutrition, affecting roughly 12.2 million children globally at any given time. Nine in ten children who complete treatment recover within four to six weeks[iii]. Because it needs no water, refrigeration, or preparation, it can reach children even in conflict zones and remote areas where hospital care isn’t possible.

About the Clinton Health Access Initiative

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling governments and the private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. www.clintonhealthaccess.org

Media Contact: Corina Milic, Director of Communications | cmilic@clintonhealthaccess.org