Background to the study: In Uganda, 2.3 million children below the age of five years are chronically malnourished (Government of Uganda, 2011). Statistics show that nationally an estimate of 6% of children is acutely malnourished and almost 2% of these have severe acute malnutrition. (UD H S, 2006). The integrated management of acute malnutrition guidelines deals with acute malnutrition identification, treatment and management. It seeks to improve acute malnutrition management in children by treating cases with severe acute malnutrition that have medical complications. Objective of the study: To assess the average length of hospital stay for children aged 6-59 months managed for severe acute malnutrition at Nalufenya Children’s Nutritional Unit in Jinja District, Uganda Methodology: this was a cross sectional study involing 119 parents/caretakers of children aged between 6 to 59 months being managed for severe acute malnutrition at Nalufenya children’s hospital nutritional unit in Jinja. Respondents were selected using sampling non probability method (convenience and purposive) for both quantitative and qualitative data. Data was collected using a questionnaire and key informant guide for the key informants. Data was analyzed using SPSS were chi- square test and logistic regression at bivariate and multivariate analysis respectively were done. Variables were significant at p< 0.05. Results: A total of 18.6 % of the children admitted had long hospital stay. Children that resided in the villages were 0.36 times less likely to have a shorter hospital stay (p= 0.027). Children that had a history of pervious admission were0.176 times less likely to have a shorter length of hospital stay (p= 0.020). children whose parents/ caretakers were in the formal sector were 8.167 times more likely to have a shorter length of hospital stay, those who reported adequate staff were 0.452 times less likely to have a shorter hospital length of staff (p=0.034). Children whose parents bought medicine for themselves were 0.462 times less likely to have a shorter length of hospital stay (0.040). Conclusion and recommendations: 18.6% of the children had long stay influenced by village residence, informal employment of the parents/caretakers, inadequate staff and shortage of medicines at the unit. The following recommendations are suggested; village outreaches to sensitize parents on prevention of malnutrition, advocacy for early seeking of health services, the government to provide income generating activities for those parents in the informal sector, so that they can make extra income, increase the staff at Nalufenya children’s hospital nutritional unit and provide the required medicines for managing acute server malnutrition and also support the unit with children feeds.

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