We’re fast approaching the end of the 2020, and as the year ends, so does the UK Government’s financial pledge for tackling malnutrition in developing countries. Action is vital because globally, malnutrition is linked to nearly half of all the deaths in children under five years old. COVID-19 is exacerbating the existing problems too, and is predicted to cause millions more people to become malnourished because of a lack of access to normal health services and nourishing food. Good nutrition is important in the longer term because it helps reduce the risk of getting ill and dying from other diseases, helps children stay in school, and adults to reach their full potential.
The UK government has long been a leading donor in tackling malnutrition, founding the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) agenda in 2013. The next N4G summit will call upon donor governments to pledge in December 2021 – but that’s over a year away, and money is needed now to tackle malnutrition, to ensure life-changing programmes aren’t cut when they are most needed.
Now is likely to be our last chance this year to show the UK Government that this is an urgent problem and that their leadership is needed. Please write to your MP as soon as you can, explaining the urgency of tackling malnutrition. Ask them to write to the Secretary of State, Dominic Raab, asking the Government to renew their financial commitments to nutrition before the end of the year.