MDCF-2: A breakthrough in fight against child malnutrition

It is heartening that a food supplement for undernourished children, developed by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) in collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, has been recognised by the Time magazine in its prestigious "Best Inventions of 2025" list under the Social Impact category. Severe childhood malnutrition often causes long-term chronic health conditions, partly due to impaired development of the gut microbiome. To address this, researchers from icddr,b and Washington University formulated a therapeutic food named microbiota-directed complementary food No. 2 (MDCF-2). The supplement, containing a precise mix of chickpea flour, soybean flour, peanut flour, and green banana, stimulates the growth of specific intestinal bacteria that break down food into molecules essential for bone growth and brain development. Clinical trials have already shown that malnourished children consuming MDCF-2 experience significant improvements in weight and height. Moreover, an October 2024 study identified a key growth-inducing enzyme activated by the therapy. Major studies are now underway in India, Pakistan, Mali, and Tanzania.
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of icddr,b, rightly observed that this achievement illustrates how science and compassion can come together to tackle one of the world's most persistent health challenges. MDCF-2 offers renewed hope that locally developed, affordable innovations can help millions of undernourished children not only survive but also thrive. Just as the oral rehydration solution (ORS) developed by the icddr,b revolutionised the fight against diarrhoea worldwide, this breakthrough has the potential to make a lasting impact on malnutrition.
This achievement is particularly encouraging for Bangladesh, where, even five decades after its independence, nearly one in four children is stunted, meaning their height falls far below the standard for their age. In addition, 22 per cent of children are underweight, while 11 per cent suffer from wasting, a severe form of malnutrition. According to the UNICEF, children deprived of proper nutrition in their early years perform poorly in school, experience impaired development, earn less as adults and remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and deprivation. Good nutrition, therefore, is the key to children's survival, health, growth and development. Families are expected to play a crucial role in providing nutritious food, but impoverished households often cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. Against this backdrop, the government should consider including MDCF-2 in its list of food items distributed under social safety net programmes.
Childhood malnutrition, however, is not always caused by a lack of food. The consumption of junk food is another significant contributor. Schools across the country are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy food items and their aggressive marketing tactics such as colourful packaging and free gifts which draw children like a magnet. It lures them to consume highly processed, nutrient-poor foods instead of wholesome meals. In fact, finding nutritious items for children's school tiffin at local shops is often an arduous task. Therefore, if MDCF-2 can be made widely accessible and affordable, it could make a substantial dent in childhood malnutrition. The next crucial step, therefore, will be to ensure that this supplement reaches all children in areas where acute malnutrition is rampant. Achieving this will require strong policy support, investment in commercial production with strict quality control, efficient distribution and close collaboration among governments, global health agencies and local communities. If effectively scaled, MDCF-2 could become another landmark contribution from Bangladesh to global public health.