Good nutrition is essential for a healthy and productive life. Malnutrition significantly affects children’s outcomes in life, impairing their development and health. It also contributes to nearly half of all under-5 child deaths. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of malnutrition are set to increase further as health and food systems have been severely disrupted.
The UK has long been a respected donor for nutrition and a catalyst for action on nutrition. 2021 has been labelled the ‘Nutrition for Growth Year of Action’, yet at present, the UK’s support for nutrition is in question, with no financial commitments having been made and the impact of the recent aid cuts unclear.
This month, we’re calling on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to recommit to reaching 50 million women and children with nutrition-relevant programmes by 2025, and for international development programmes to be designed to have more impact on malnutrition.
Click on the links below to find out more about this issue. The Action Sheet sets out why we are asking for an increased focus on the quality and reach of nutrition programmes, particularly at a time when UK aid is being cut. It includes links to further in-depth information and news articles on the topic.
Background Sheet 1 includes brief talking points, so that you can put an advocacy letter together easily if you are short of time, or want to explain the issue simply. It also includes a glossary of some of the common terms used when discussing malnutrition.
Background Sheet 2 includes an explanation of how the focus of nutrition programmes can be improved, and a case study from Action Against Hunger showing why good nutrition matters.
If you missed the May conference call, you can catch up on the recording here.