Region: Global

The Lancet Breastfeeding Series

Released January 2016, The Lancet Breastfeeding Series highlights the significant economic and health benefits for both rich and poor countries alike when governments support breastfeeding through meaningful investments and programs.  Based on a growing body of evidence, the Series finds the global costs of lower cognitive ability associated with not breastfeeding amount to more than $300 billion each year, a figure comparable to the entire global pharmaceutical market. Moreover, 820,000 children’s lives could be saved annually with increased breastfeeding rates, a nearly 13 percent reduction in all under-5 child deaths.

Healthy Food for a Healthy World: Leveraging Agriculture and Food to Improve Global Nutrition

On April 16, 2015, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released a report calling on the United States to use the power of the agriculture and food sector to reduce the reality and risks of malnutrition globally. Malnutrition – from undernourishment to obesity – is a global challenge affecting every country on earth. Given that nutrition is driven largely by the food people eat, making nutrition a priority in developing our global food system could give billions more people access to the healthy foods they need to thrive. In light of these challenges and opportunities, the Chicago Councils report “Healthy Food for a Healthy World” recommends that:

  • The U.S. Congress commit to a long-term global food and nutrition strategy focused on agricultural development and convene a bipartisan Commission on how to tackle nutrition challenges globally.
  • The U.S. government, in partnership with universities and research institutes, increase funding for nutrition research to expand access to nutrient-rich foods and address malnutrition.
  • The U.S. draw on the strength of its research facilities and universities to train the next generation of agriculture, food, and nutrition leaders both here and in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
  • Government and industry work together to support more efficient and wider delivery of healthy foods, especially through technologies that can reduce food waste and enhance food safety.

The Impact of Poor Sanitation on Nutrition

The intersection between nutrition and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) continues to garner attention, however much work remains to be done. SHARE and UNICEF recently released a policy brief that summarizes the evidence the evidence for the impact of poor sanitation on nutritional outcomes and highlights the potential offered by greater integration of WASH within nutrition policy and programs. Key recommendations include:

  • The new Global Goals provide an opportunity for donors, aid agencies, and national governments to foster cross-sectoral collaboration in WASH and nutrition, including knowledge sharing and collaborative programs.
  • The nutritional significance of sanitation can no longer be overlooked. Practitioners from nutrition and WASH should collaborate on tackling the underlying causes of undernutrition and put a greater focus on prevention of undernutrition in addition to treatment.
  • Gaps in evidence on the sanitation-nutrition nexus must be filled with high quality studies in order to spur greater commitment and investment in evidence-based impactful interventions.

Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies

Even the youngest children in the United States are at risk of becoming obese. In response, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reviewed factors related to overweight and obesity from birth to age five and develop this report which recommends actions that healthcare professionals, caregivers, and policymakers can take to prevent obesity in young children.

Nutrition and health in women, children, and adolescent girls

Published alongside the UN Secretary General’s second Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, this policy brief makes the case for strengthened focus on nutrition, with special attention to the first 1,000 days (from a woman’s pregnancy to the child’s second birthday), pregnant and lactating women, women of reproductive age, and adolescent girls. According to the authors, urgent action is needed to tackle malnutrition in all its forms and to help nutrition unlock the potential of investment in the health of women, children and adolescents.

The 2013 Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Nutrition

In a follow up to its 2008 series, The Lancet’s 2013 series on maternal and child nutrition revealed that improvements in nutrition remain “a massive unfinished agenda.” Perhaps the most startling new finding was the revelation that malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all child deaths each year—3 million children under age 5—and is the single greatest threat to child survival. The evidence within The Lancet reinforced the case for improving nutrition in the first 1,000 days, highlighting 10 proven nutrition interventions could save almost 1 million lives and reduce the number of stunted children by 33 million.

The 2008 Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition

In 2008, the British Medical journal The Lancet published a landmark series of papers which led to a seismic shift in how the world addresses maternal and child malnutrition. The 2008 Lancet Series provided the foundation of scientific evidence upon with 1,000 Days was created.

Wasting Infographic

In collaboration with WHO, 1,000 Days developed this infographic—one in a series of six—to highlight actions needed to achieve the global target on wasting.

Breastfeeding Infographic

In collaboration with WHO, 1,000 Days developed this infographic—one in a series of six—to highlight actions needed to achieve the global target on breastfeeding.