André Briend

Dr. André Briend, a Medical Doctor from Paris University with a PhD in Human Nutrition, was rectruited in 1975 by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (France) to conduct research on child nutrition in developing countries. At the beginning of his carrer, he worked in Senegal at the Office de Recherche sur l’Almimentation et la Nutrition Africaines and in Bangladesh at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. In these two coountries, he worked on the association between nutritional status and mortality and showed that children with high risk of death can be identified by a simple measure of the mid-upper arm circumference. After coming back to France in 1989, he collaborated with several non-governmental origasinsations to improve the management of malnourished children. In the late 90’s, he played a key role in the development of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) which led to a revolution in the management of severe acute malnutrition. Dr Briend joined WHO in 2004 and worked at the department of Child and Adolescent Health.  He retired from WHO in 2009 and is now Adjunct Professor at the University of Tampere, Department for International Health, Finland, and Affiliated Professor, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He continues to collaborate with different research teams to improve the management of malnourished children.

The Work:

Dr. André Briend has made transformative contributions to the treatment of malnutrition, particularly through his pioneering work in the development of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) and the use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as a simplified diagnostic and monitoring tool. 

Dr. Briend was instrumental in formulating RUTFs as a highly nutritious, shelf-stable paste that requires no preparation or refrigeration, making it ideal for use in resource-limited settings. This innovation has revolutionized the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, enabling millions of children to receive life-saving therapy in their homes rather than in hospitals. Over 50 countries now implement RUTFs in community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programs, treating an estimated 8 million children annually. His contributions have been vital in reducing malnutrition-related mortality and improving recovery rates.

The Impact:

The introduction of MUAC as a primary tool for identifying malnourished children simplified diagnosis and allowed for rapid scale-up of CMAM programs. By focusing on MUAC measurements rather than more complex weight-for-height indices, healthcare workers, even in remote areas, can quickly identify at-risk children and initiate treatment. This approach has greatly expanded access to care, especially in low-resource and conflict-affected settings. 

Combining a simple measure to identify at-risk children with easily distributed RUTFs, Dr. Briend’s work has been pivotal in reducing mortality from childhood malnutrition in at-risk populations. His innovations have not only improved outcomes but also enabled the integration of malnutrition treatment into broader health systems, supporting the long-term goal of reducing malnutrition on a global scale.