Severe acute malnutrition is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. SAM can manifest in two different ways: severe wasting, characterized by a rapid loss of body fat and muscle tissue, or bilateral pitting oedema (swelling that occurs on both sides of the body, beginning in the feet and eventually spreading to the legs and other body parts). SAM is identified by a weight-for-height (WFH) that is less than -3 z-scores of the WHO reference standards, a mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) measurement less than 115 mm, and/or the presence of bilateral pitting oedema. (Action Against Hunger / WHO)
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