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Action Against Hunger welcomes the 2018 Global Nutrition Report and stresses the urgent need to engage more deeply in nutrition. As the report illustrates, governments still have a long way to go to achieve the goals set by the World Health Organization, Nutrition for Growth, the United Nations Decade of Nutrition, and so on.
The World Nutrition Report (GNR) shows that nutrition in its various forms is a problem in every country in the world. Progress made in the past could be thwarted by alarming negative trends, and this reversal will be overcome only by increased global action. For too long, nutrition has been treated in silos. We now know that a holistic approach is needed and that it must include access to free care to ensure the right to nutrition for all.
The dark image of the report should not be interpreted as a defeat. Now more than ever, we have the tools, data and knowledge to end malnutrition. We have strong evidence of the returns that investment in nutrition brings, especially for teenage girls and young women. This evidence should lead to global action – if left unchecked now, we risk losing momentum in the face of new nutrition challenges related to climate change and protracted conflict.
Financing the fight against malnutrition
Action Against Hunger echoes the call in the report to donors to increase official development assistance for nutrition to meet existing needs and help governments and agencies to keep their commitments. The current funding commitment for nutrition, just half a percent, is far from meeting the demands. Efforts to improve the monitoring of donor contributions to nutrition through a new marker (SUN-ACF) will be adopted around the world in 2020 and will encourage greater donor accountability.
While the GNR cites the innovative mechanisms and business investments needed to supplement nutrition funding by the government, Action Against Hunger sees the political will and priority given to nutrition in national budgets as the most decisive path and the most proactive. Malnutrition will only be addressed through specific public health and nutrition policies aimed at ensuring access to a healthy diet and ensuring nutrition as the right of every citizen. The private sector can be mobilized to contribute to the achievement of these objectives, but they can not be held responsible and do not have the mandate to defend the rights of citizens.
Data is a gamechanger
The GNR offers new data and perspectives on the successes of several countries that have included nutrition in their sub-national budgets, indicating that their percentages are higher than those of national budgets. Decentralized budgets seem to be a more effective approach, leading to increased access to health and nutrition and to providing assistance closer to the poor.
However, despite the progress made in data collection, the report still notes huge gaps in information. There is a lack of data on micronutrient deficiencies, low birth weight, and other subgroups of children with severe acute malnutrition, such as children under six months of age and those with kwashiorkor.
Half of global food producers are hungry
We welcome the emphasis placed in the report on the role of non-optimal diets as the main factor of malnutrition and recognize that the proposed solutions are not limited to a few quick fix solutions, but range from the promotion of malnutrition. a wide range of foods contributing to healthy diets reducing highly processed foods high in fats, sugars and salt.
This is an important step in tackling the root causes of nutrition and we encourage the GNR to analyze beyond individual demands and patterns of consumption, but rather to look for patterns. agricultural production and healthy value chains. Smallholder farmers, fishermen and pastoralists – all of whom could play an important role in addressing the root causes of malnutrition – account for 55% of those suffering from hunger. Faced with challenges such as climate change, a paradigm shift is needed. We must recognize the importance of supporting food producers who could help create healthier environments and more diverse, healthy and sustainable diets.
We are at the crossroads. This year's World Nutrition Report leaves no doubt that it is time for policymakers to act against unacceptable levels of malnutrition worldwide.
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