Global Challenges Mean That Advancing Nutrition is More Important than Ever

By: Heather Danton, Director, USAID Advancing Nutrition?

As we approach the two year anniversary of the first reported cases of the novel beta coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its many impacts on our world, I have been reflecting on the 2020 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published in July of that year. The report attempted to forecast the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chains, health services, and families. The evidence was clear: Not only was the world unlikely to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030 before the pandemic, COVID-19 now threatened much of the progress we have made together over the past two decades. Fortunately, the nutrition community saw the COVID-19 pandemic as a rallying call, making 2021 the make or break year for nutrition and galvanizing support to not just prevent backsliding but advance nutrition around the world.

“Fortunately, the nutrition community saw the COVID-19 pandemic as a rallying call, making 2021 the make or break year for nutrition and galvanizing support to not just prevent backsliding but advance nutrition around the world.”

Between 720 million and 811 million people were hungry in 2020 and the number?of people experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity increased in every region of the world. In comparison to 2019, a staggering number of additional people experienced hunger—46 million more people in Africa 57 million in Asia 14 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. The outlook for nutrition mirrors this. A press release from the World Health Organization following the Nutrition for Growth Summit in December 2021 reminded us that approximately one third of all people around the world are affected by at least one form of malnutrition. Current projections indicate that by 2025, half of all people in the world will be malnourished, including an estimated 40 million children projected to be obese or overweight in the next 10 years.?

These sobering statistics signify not only the impact of malnutrition on a child’s cognitive or physical potential—but also a subsequent and deleterious ripple effect on learning and earning in communities and countries. But the impact of the pandemic in conjunction with conflict, climate extremes, and growing inflation has motivated governments, civil society, donors, private sector actors, and international nongovernmental organizations. As USAID’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project, USAID Advancing Nutrition has been among the global actors committed to? maintaining and even accelerating the progress that has been made in reducing malnutrition. In 2021, our third year of implementation, we strengthened nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive policies, programs, interventions, and systems to support and inform USAID’s strategic priorities for nutrition. A summary of our Year 3 accomplishments points to the robust work that USAID has been supporting and will continue to strengthen in the coming three years per the U.S. government’s commitment to nutrition announced at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, made along with over 300 commitments from over 150 stakeholders in 66 countries, including 20 private sector businesses.

Globally, and locally in 12 countries, our work cuts across critical stages in the nutrition life cycle. We are—?

• working with governments, academic partners, and the private sector to increase financing for nutrition to sustain systems that ensure quality?micronutrient fortification
• promoting and taking to scale what we know works for nutrition including key practices and competencies for infant and young child feeding
• tackling the complexities of food systems to improve consumption of ?healthy diets, especially among women of reproductive age.?
• supporting USAID’s global efforts to improve the prevention and management of?wasting among children under 5 years of age, especially those most affected by conflict and/or living in humanitarian or resource-constrained contexts.??

USAID Advancing Nutrition is committed to making every year a year of nutrition with global partners and initiatives such as the Africa Year of Nutrition 2022 that are already underway. Our accomplishments point to the essential work and implementation research that contributes to understanding what works in the fight against malnutrition and helping more children, families, and communities reach their economic, cognitive, and physical potential to live a full, healthy life.

Read our Year in Review and leave a comment to share your thoughts about how we can work together this upcoming year to help more people reach their full potential.