Nutrition

Description

Nutrition programs use evidence-based interventions foundational to a child’s life. They prevent and treat stunting, wasting (acute malnutrition), and micronutrient deficiencies, such as anemia. Programs focus on the first 1,000 days of life—from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday and maternal, infant, and young child feeding practices. These programs prevent child and maternal deaths and support long-term health, cognitive development, and physical growth.

Use of Funds

Resources support activities in 18 priority and strategic support countries and include nutrition education, technical assistance, and the direct delivery of services such as micronutrient supplementation and ready-to-use therapeutic food. Programs also provide support services to and nutrition supplements for pregnant women.

Justification

• The interwoven threats of conflict, worsening climate shocks, rising food and fertilizer prices, and ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic have caused rates of hunger and malnutrition to increase dramatically.
  • Globally, 60 million children are acutely malnourished as of 2022, compared to 47 million in 2019 before COVID-19.
  • Worldwide data indicates that 149.2 million children under 5 years of age are stunted, 45.4 million are wasted, and 38.9 million are overweight.
  • Anemia affects over half a billion women of reproductive age globally, impairing their health and economic productivity. In pregnant women, anemia can lead to death and can have serious consequences for infants, including stillbirth, prematurity, and low birth weight.
• It is estimated that nearly 670 million people will be undernourished in 2030—8 percent of the world population. This is 78 million more undernourished people compared to a scenario in which the pandemic had not occurred.
• Nutrition interventions are among the most cost-effective ways to save and improve lives around the world.