Month: June 2016

New Research Sheds Light on Breaking Cycle of Malnutrition

Launched in cities around the world, The 2016 Global Nutrition Report underscores that malnutrition is a truly global problem affecting 1 in 3 people worldwide. The report examines how countries around the world are doing in reducing this number, and puts forward several recommendations to spur progress.

“We now live in a world where being malnourished is the new normal. It is a world that we must all claim as totally unacceptable,” said Lawrence Haddad, Co-Chair of the Global Nutrition Report’s Independent Expert Group and Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Urgent action is needed is needed if the world is going to break this “new normal.” Here are two recommendations put forward by The 2016 Global Nutrition report:

  1. Drawing on research from the World Bank and Results for Development, the report estimates that countries will need to invest $7 billion in nutrition specific interventions in the next decade to meet the World Health Assembly (WHA) global nutrition targets on anemia, stunting, wasting and exclusive breastfeeding.
  2. The report also show the importance of collaborating across other sectors, like agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene, and education in order to improve nutrition.

With this need for collaboration in mind, the United States government announced at the report launch in Washington, DC a plan to better coordinate between eleven U.S. agencies to align nutrition programming. This announcement fulfils a commitment made by the U.S. in 2013 as part of the first Nutrition for Growth summit.

In order to end malnutrition, the world can no longer accept it as the “new normal.” It is unacceptable that so many people suffer every day from the scourge of malnutrition. Pope Francis, in his remarks to the World Food Programme Board in Rome on Monday, June 13 said it best: “It is not enough to offer broad reflections or engage in endless discussion, constantly repeating things everyone knows. We need to “de-naturalize” extreme poverty, to stop seeing it as a statistic rather than a reality.” When the world normalizes extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition, the faces and lives of the most effected are ignored.

As this new Global Nutrition Report highlights critical progress against malnutrition and the continued work that is needed, it is important not forget the stories of the people driving the progress – mothers working to nourish themselves and their children, small-holder farmers producing fruits and vegetables, and advocates speaking up for the importance of these programs in the U.S. and abroad.

Momentum for Global Nutrition Building in Wake Of Athlete Letter

In April, over 100 athletes sent a letter to President Obama urging global action on malnutrition. Since then, thousands of American citizens have signed on to a petition urging world leaders to make this August the start of the race to end malnutrition.

Read the full letter from the athletes below.

 

Dear President Obama:

This year, the Olympic moment is about more than sports. It’s an opportunity to shape the future.  On the eve of the 2016 Summer Olympics, world leaders will meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Nutrition for Growth Summit and commit their governments’ support to ending malnutrition.

We ask that you make a gold medal pledge on behalf of the United States that will give kids around the world a winning start.  Good nutrition right from the beginning enables children to grow up healthy and strong, providing them the opportunity to reach their full potential.

As you know, malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all childhood deaths around the world – more deaths than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB combined.  For a quarter of the world’s children, malnutrition early in life leaves them physically and developmentally stunted—an irreversible condition that limits a child’s ability to grow, learn, and thrive.  And yet only a tiny fraction of the funding for global health programs goes to the proven, life-saving nutrition programs that children need to grow up healthy.

It’s time to prioritize the nutrition of the world’s young children to ensure brighter and healthier futures.  It’s time for the United States to use the opportunity of the Nutrition for Growth Summit to make a bold commitment to give kids the strongest start to life.

We hope you will join us in racing toward a world free from malnutrition.

Sincerely,

Nia Ali

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Sirena Alise

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Anita Alvarez

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Phoebe Alvarez

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Jordin Andrade

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Yael Averbuch

FC Kansas City

Women’s Soccer

 

Jade Barber

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Melissa Barber

World Champion

USA Track & Field

 

Brigetta Barrett

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

 

Claire Barton

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Alison Bartosik

Olympian

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Amanda Bingson

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Eric Bird

Men’s Soccer

 

Muggsy Bogues

National Basketball Association

 

Shannon Boxx

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Nicole Branagh

Olympian

Beach Volleyball

 

Landria Buckley

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Rachel Buehler (Van Hollebeke)

Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Quentin Butler

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Landrai Buckley

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Amber Campbell

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Kristin Castlin

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Kori Carter

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Japheth Cato

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Kendra Chambers

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Jaime Crane-Mauzy

USA Skiing

 

Jeanee Crane-Mauzy

USA Skiing

 

Virginia Crawford

US Champion

USA Track & Field

 

Nicole Davis

Two-time Olympian

USA Volleyball

 

Sharon Day-Monroe

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Korey Dropkin

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Curling

 

Adam Durham

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Eric Fonoimoana

Olympian

USA Beach Volleyball

Julie Foudy

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Hyleas Fountain

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Bridget Franek

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Carin Gabarra

Olympian

Women’s Soccer

 

Morgan Goodwin

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Jeff Gordon

NASCAR

 

Erin Gray

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Jeff Green

National Basketball Association

 

Amanda Hahn

USA Triathlon

 

Mia Hamm

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Monica Hargrove

World Champion

USA Track & Field

 

Natasha Hastings

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Britney Henry

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Armintie Herrington

Women’s Basketball

 

Mackenzie Hil

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Mark Hollis

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Jennifer Hoy

Women’s Soccer

 

Nick Hundley

Major League Baseball

 

Tori Huster

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Marvellous Iheukwumere

2016 Olympic Hopeful

Nigeria Track & Field

 

Samantha Johnson

Chicago Red Stars

Women’s Soccer

 

Vanessa Jones

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Stanley Kebenei

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Four-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Phoebe Koroleva

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Ali Krieger

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Bernard Lagat

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Stephanie Lebby

USA Skiing

 

Muna Lee

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Mechelle Lewis (Freeman)

Olympian

USA & Jamaica Track & Field

 

Kristine Lilly (Heavey)

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Carli Lloyd

Two-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Alexis Love

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Crystal Manning

US Champion

USA Track & Field

Michael Mannozzi

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Arielle Martin

USA BMX

 

Alyssa Mautz

Women’s Soccer

 

Heather Mitts

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Gary Morgan

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Alonzo Mourning

Olympian

National Basketball Association

 

Dikembe Mutombo

National Basketball Association

 

David Oliver

Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Heather O’Reilly

Three-time Olympian

USA Women’s Soccer

 

Greg Nixon

World Champion

USA Track & Field

 

Kara Patterson

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Tori Pena

2016 Olympic Hopeful

Ireland Pole Vaulter

 

Chanelle Price

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

 

Kiana Profit

USA Track & Field

 

Elli Reed

Seattle Reign FC

Women’s Soccer

 

Britney Reese

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Ruth Riley

Olympian

USA Women’s Basketball

 

Sanya Richards-Ross

Two-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Jason Richardson

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Sarah Rodriquez

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

 

Alex Sachs

Olympian

Brazil Women’s Soccer

 

N’aithan Scott

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Danielle Scott-Aruda

Five-time Olympian

USA Volleyball

 

Jamie Sinclair

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Curling

 

Julianne Sitch

Women’s Soccer

 

Awvee Storey

National Basketball Association

 

Jared Sullinger

National Basketball Association

 

Jere Summers

USA Track & Field

 

LaTavia Thomas

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field

 

Stephanie Trafton

Three-time Olympian

USA Track & Field

 

Gary Vanderwege

Two-time Paralympian

USA Fencing

 

Todd Wharton

Men’s Soccer

 

Alison Williams

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Synchronized Swimming

 

Melinda Winthrow

2016 Olympic Hopeful

USA Track & Field