Global Health Medical Device Compendium/Mid-Upper Arm Circumference band

The World Health Organization estimates that there are 178 million children suffering from malnutrition across the globe, 20 million of which are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Of these 20 million severe cases, only about 3% receive the lifesaving treatment they need. Increasing the speed and scale of diagnosis will allow health workers in low-resource settings to treat more patients.

The middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC) band simply loops around a child’s arm to allow for rapid screening of malnutrition in children less than 5 years of age. The bracelet, in conjunction with weight and height measurements, is pulled snug on the patient’s arm to indicate the malnutrition level of the child. Arrows pointing to green means adequate nourishment, yellow means at risk, orange means moderately malnourished, and red (a circumference of less than 110 mm) indicates severe and acute malnutrition. Once diagnosed, further treatment steps can be taken for the patient.

• Designed by: Doctors Without Borders
• Manufacturer (if different):
• Manufacturer location: Can be printed from any computer

The MUAC band has been implemented in Doctors Without Borders sites across the world.

Doctors Without Borders

Dale, N.M., Myatt, M. Prudhon, C., Briend, A. (2013). “Using middle-upper arm circumference to treat acute severe malnutrition leads to higher weight gains in the most malnourished children”. PLOS ONE. (2011) Feb;8(2):1-7. Web. Retrieved December 1, 2013 from here.

Doctors Without Borders. (2011). Introducing MUAC: a tool to determine treatment. Retrieved December 1, 2013 from here.

Maternova. Bracelet of life. Retrieved December 1, 2013 from here.