Malnutrition has for too long been a neglected issue. Yet it is a problem that affects one in three people worldwide. Today, 159 million children are stunted, 50 million are wasted and more than 2 billion people are overweight or obese. But in 2015 for the first time in history, through the Global Goals, the world has committed to ending malnutrition in all its forms. As the 2016 Global Nutrition Report makes clear, tackling malnutrition is one of the largest challenges facing all countries. Malnutrition comes in many guises: stunting, wasting, deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals, and obesity. Reaching the ambitious target of ending malnutrition is only achievable if world leaders can ensure agriculture and food systems policies strengthen nutrition outcomes. There is a moral imperative to eliminate malnutrition. Undernutrition contributes to 45% of the 16,000 children under the age of five who die every day. The impacts extend well beyond health: stunted children who survive are permanently disadvantaged, perform worse at school and are robbed of future earnings that could support them and their families. But eliminating malnutrition is also an economic imperative. The costs of undernutrition in terms of lost national productivity are significant, with between 3% and 16% of GDP lost annually in Africa and Asia. The good news is that we know that the economic returns from investing in nutrition are high – GBP 16 generated for every pound invested. Boosting nutrition can boost growth.
Chadwick Digo