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Uniting to close the Gender Nutrition Gap

Happy #March4Nutrition!

As part of 1,000 Days’ annual #March4Nutrition campaign and alongside the Commission on the Status of Women, we’re excited to announce The Gender Nutrition Gap will be hosting an X (formerly Twitter) Chat on Wednesday, March 13th at 9:00 ET/14:00 CET.

To participate, please create answers to our predetermined questions and be ready to tweet during the specified event time. Make sure your answers are posted either by a retweet or as a reply to the question. Be sure to include the hashtags #March4Nutrition and #GenderNutritionGap so your answers don’t get lost!

See you on X!

Find all the questions we’ll be asking and some suggested social media here!

You can find the Gender Nutrition Gap on X, LinkedIn and Instagram, and on our website.

Maximizing Potential: The Impact of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for Improved Maternal and Child Health

In the quest for improved maternal and child health and gender equality, we often overlook a fundamental intersection with the importance of good nutrition. The unique biological needs of women, gender disparities in access to food and services, and harmful social norms contribute to an ever-growing gender nutrition gap. During pregnancy, increased nutritional needs due to physical changes and the needs of a growing baby further exacerbate this gap. Micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy put both mothers and babies at risk of birth complications, small vulnerable newborns, and even death, and the lack of nutrients in this critical period can prevent children from reaching their full physical and mental potential. Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) during pregnancy provides a transformative solution to mitigating a wide array of harmful micronutrient deficiencies. During #March4Nutrition, we want to highlight MMS as a proven solution to meet the increased nutritional needs of women during pregnancy and further children’s growth, learning, and overall well-being.

The highlight of our year: #March4Nutrition

March is National Nutrition Month! Developed by our friends and colleagues at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, every March we work to amplify the importance of nutrition for families in the first 1,000 days: the time between pregnancy and a baby’s second birthday.

Throughout pregnancy, infancy and beyond, families need good nutrition, breastfeeding support, and nurturing care in order to thrive. Decades of research has shown that nutrition plays a foundational role in a child’s development and her country’s ability to prosper.

We invite you to follow #March4Nutrition on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter all month long and join the conversation. Every week in March, we’ll dive deep into a new theme and explore how nutrition lays the foundation for brighter, healthier futures.

Week 1 March 4-10: Thriving families – What if … families had access to quality nutrition services before, during and after pregnancy?  

Week 2 March 11-17: Women’s nutrition and gender equity – What if … nutrition was seen as a key piece of achieving gender equity?  

Week 3 March 18-24: Nutrition & food (in)security – What if … families had access to safe, affordable and nutritious foods? 

Week 4 March 25-31: What we can do? – What if … our work could support moms, babies, and families in the United States and around the world to access nutritious food?

At 1,000 Days, we believe that every family, everywhere deserves the opportunity to have a healthy 1,000-day window and beyond – and that starts with access to good nutrition.

Join us this month as we #March4Nutrition for moms and babies!

Find the social media toolkit here.

Understanding Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days: Black Moms and Birthing People

To improve our advocacy and nutrition education efforts, 1,000 Days strove to understand sources of nutrition information during the first 1,000-day window and gaps in culturally relevant communications about healthy diets. Through a combination of qualitative research methods, including surveys and an environmental scan, we listened to over 225 Black pregnant and birthing people about their perceptions of their health, when and how they received nutrition information related to their pregnancy, and their preferred sources of information.

1,000 Days Statement on Increased U.S. Infant Mortality Rates

At 1,000 Days, we are deeply concerned by the recent CDC data revealing an increase in infant mortality in the United States for the first time in two decades. Our nation has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates of any wealthy country. This disheartening increase is a stark reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address the critical challenges facing maternal and child health in the United States.

The CDC found that the overall infant mortality rate increased by 3% with significant increases for mothers aged 25-29. Mortality rates also climbed for preterm babies, male infants, and for infants born in Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Texas. The data also shows a deepening divide along racial and ethnic lines with infant mortality rates for American Indian or Alaska Native women increasing by over 20%, from 7.4 deaths to over 9 deaths per 1,000 births, while rates for White women increased by about 3% from 4.36 deaths to 4.52 deaths per 1,000 births. Infant mortality rates for infants of Black women did not drastically increase but they continue to experience the highest overall rates of mortality with nearly 11 deaths per 1,000 births, or over double the mortality rate of White infants. The significant disparities in infant mortality rates among different racial groups highlight the pervasive impact of systemic inequities on health outcomes.

1,000 Days remains dedicated to our mission of making the health and well-being of women and children in the first 1,000 days, from pregnancy to two years of age, a policy and funding priority. We call on Congress to continue investing in maternal and child health and services, recognizing that it is critical during the 1,000-day window to deliver nutrition and support for women and infants. Access to proper nutrition and comprehensive maternal health services is a right for all women and families, and it is imperative to ensure that no one is left behind. Strong policies and investments in this critical window are not only about saving lives today but also about nurturing healthier generations.

A strong start in life is every child’s right, and we are committed to working alongside partners, communities, and policymakers to create a world where all children can thrive. The CDC’s findings reinforce the urgency of our mission, and we stand ready to collaborate and advocate for the changes needed to ensure better outcomes for everyone.

Together, we can strive for a future where infant mortality is a rare and unacceptable tragedy. Join us in making a difference and securing a brighter future for the next generation.

For more insights and information, please visit the CDC report here.

1,000 Days Statement on Senate Finance Committee Paid Leave Hearing

Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Paid Leave

This week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on paid leave, highlighting the critical need for family and medical paid leave and how our current patchwork of paid leave policies falls short of supporting all infants and families. It also confirmed the importance of paid leave for workers, businesses, and the country.

While there have been some gains in paid family leave over the past five years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only about 1 in 4 employees (27 percent) in the private sector workforce have access to paid family leave. Access to paid family leave is lower among those receiving lower wages or working part-time. People of color also have less access to paid family leave than their white counterparts.

This lack of paid family leave means parents are often forced to choose between taking time off from work to care for their young children and earning the income they need to support their families. It means that 1 in 4 women in America return to work just 2 weeks after giving birth, putting their health and that of their infant at risk. Policies that enable parents to spend time nurturing and caring for their babies—particularly in the early weeks after birth and for babies that are born pre-term, low birthweight or with illness—are critical to the healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development of children.

We applaud state, local and business-level efforts to increase access to paid family leave, but it is not enough to address this public health crisis. We need a national paid family and medical leave program that is comprehensive and covers all workers, including small business employees and the self-employed. Paid leave is the biggest obstacle to working women in the U.S. in the 1,000-day window and can reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. Our 2020 qualitative paid leave report highlights real stories from families without access to paid leave and the detrimental impacts it had on their family, including their health and the health of their baby.

We appreciate the Senate Finance Committee’s thoughtful attention to this issue. We call on Congress to take the next step, moving legislation to enact a comprehensive national paid leave policy that supports mothers and families and ensures children get the strongest start to life.

World Food Day 2023 Highlights an Opportunity for the US to Lead on Preventing & Treating Malnutrition

World Food Day 2023 looks similar to recent past food days as the world continues to grapple with high rates of food and nutrition insecurity due to long lasting impacts of the pandemic, climate shocks and stressors, conflict, and inflation. Although much attention has been paid to rising rates of malnutrition, unfortunately, in 2023, malnutrition continues to impact tens of millions of children around the world. New child malnutrition estimates from UNICEF released in May 2023 found that stunting impacted 22.3% or 148.1 million children under 5 globally and wasting threatened the lives of 6.8%, or 45 million children under 5 globally.

To meet the Sustainable Development Goals related to food security and nutrition, targeted interventions and significant investments must be made to reverse the current malnutrition trends and speed up progress. Due to the compounding crises impacting malnutrition, it is estimated that to stay on track with reaching global nutrition targets, at least $10.8 billion each year from 2022 to 2030 is needed.

A new study published just last week in The Lancet shows how dire nutrition needs are, specifically within the 1,000-day window. These new data from WHO, UNICEF, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born early, with major impacts on health, survival, and eventual economic impact. Since prematurity is the leading cause of death in children’s early years, there is an urgent need to strengthen prenatal care for mothers that protect both mom and baby, focus on malnutrition prevention in early life, and provide postpartum care that nurtures mom and supports breastfeeding.

In addition to the efforts to treat malnutrition, further attention should be paid to prevention of malnutrition in the first place. Over the last year, USAID has not only released the implementation plan for the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act (GMPTA), but also released a position paper on child wasting in June 2023 which outlined specific, actionable steps on how the USG will continue its investments and commitments to reduce and prevent malnutrition globally. Some of these steps include: strengthening nutrition as part of primary health care, building a better understanding of the specific pathways through which food systems can most effectively and efficiently prevent child wasting, improving access to RUTF for treatment and SNFs for prevention, supporting the development of sustainable financing strategies for health systems and the procurement of SNFs, and conducting joint cross-sectional and cross-bureau analyses and/or implementation research in nutrition priority countries.  

Necessary investments would help to close the nutrition insecurity gaps seen in the most vulnerable populations, including women and children. Our advocacy community continues to seek additional monetary investments from the US Government to improve nutrition security. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of nearly half of all childhood deaths under 5, however, it only received under 1.5% of US global health funding in FY2023 while AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis collectively netted roughly 72%. For FY24 funding requests, our global nutrition advocacy community requested $300M for the nutrition sub-account which would save the lives of 30,303 children annually according to the World Bank’s Nutrition Investment Framework. Efforts to reduce funding for this account undermine progress made to address malnutrition and will put lives at risk.

As Congress continues to draft FY24 appropriations bills ahead of the November 17th continuing resolution deadline, we urge them to protect and defend investments aimed at improving the health and nutrition of vulnerable populations, like women and children, particularly in the first 1,000 days. In addition, FY25 budgets and appropriations bill should include investments that both prioritize preventing and treating malnutrition. To accelerate progress on preventing and treating malnutrition, Congress and the US Government must solidify their role as a leader in putting health and nutrition first.

Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding

We know that babies get the best start in life when they are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, and continue breastfeeding with complimentary feeding until they are 2 years old, following World Health Organization guidelines established in 2018.

As World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month begin, 1,000 Days celebrates the progress made to support mothers in breastfeeding their babies, while also recognizing the additional steps that need to be taken to truly support all those who wish to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. From policy changes to individual support, more action is needed to achieve breastfeeding goals globally. In the US, a recent win for breastfeeding mothers is the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, which extends the right to receive break time to pump and a private place to pump at work to more nursing employees. Another win for breastfeeding science globally is the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding series which reinforces the power of breastfeeding, policy changes needed to protect breastfeeding, and calls out intrusive marketing strategies utilized by formula companies to diminish breastfeeding.

Even though breastfeeding is the best way to protect newborns from malnutrition, infections, and disease, only 48% of babies around the world are exclusively breastfed based on data from 2015-2021. Breastfeeding support is recognized as a “Power 4” nutrition intervention, showcasing how critical it is for mothers and babies in low- and middle-income countries to support health and nutrition. Not only is breastfeeding counseling impactful on health and nutrition outcomes, but it is also one of the most cost-effective nutrition interventions, yielding up to $35US in economic returns with a $1US investment.

Across the United States Agency for International Development’s 14 priority geographies, breastfeeding counseling rates remain low. On average, in these areas, only 45% of mothers are receiving breastfeeding counseling in the 2 days after delivery. Breastfeeding counseling, whether individually or in a group setting, can help ensure mothers have the support they need while also helping them gain confidence and overcome challenges in their breastfeeding journey.

Governments, development partners, UN agencies, and non-government organizations have pledged to improve nutrition globally, particularly through increased investments in breastfeeding, as outlined at the 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit. Additionally, the Global Breastfeeding Collective identified policy priorities for countries to implement to support, protect and promote breastfeeding:

  • Increase funding to raise breastfeeding rates from birth through two years.
  • Fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions through strong legal measures that are enforced and independently monitored by organizations free from conflicts of interest.
  • Enact paid family leave and workplace breastfeeding policies, building on the International Labour Organization’s maternity protection guidelines as a minimum requirement, including provisions for the informal sector.
  • Implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in maternity facilities, including providing breastmilk for sick and vulnerable newborns.
  • Improve access to skilled breastfeeding counseling as part of comprehensive breastfeeding policies and programs in health facilities.
  • Strengthen links between health facilities and communities, and encourage community networks that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
  • Strengthen monitoring systems that track the progress of policies, programs, and funding towards achieving both national and global breastfeeding targets.

As global leaders and governments continue to address the rising rates of malnutrition, which is impacting more than 1 billion adolescent girls and women worldwide, attention should be hyper-focused on breastfeeding support and counseling, through increased investments and policy changes, to support the health and nutrition of both current and future generations.

 

Nutrition is a Feminist Issue

Nutrition only featured in three of the 75+ sessions and events of the Women Deliver conference which brought over 6,0000 advocates, activists and decisionmakers to Kigali, Rwanda, last week. But what Women Deliver demonstrated is that nutrition is part of a much bigger framework, and an integral component of the feminist agenda. Here are three reasons why maternal nutrition is a feminist issue:

  1. The gender nutrition gap is real, widening, and solvable:  It is the political failure to meet the unique nutritional needs of women and girls and ensure their access to nutritious diets, nutrition services, and nutrition care. More than 1 billion adolescent girls and women worldwide suffer from undernutrition, including detrimental lifelong effects of the consequences of wasting and stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and anaemia, according to UNICEF’s Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women report. Malnourished mothers give birth to small and vulnerable newborns with immediate and long-term consequences for individual and societal development and growth. Today, approximately 20 million infants are born with low birthweight globally.  Cultural norms, social roles, economic disparities, and discriminatory practices create and sustain this gender nutrition gap. 1,000 Days was among 40+ organizations to launch Closing the Gender Nutrition Gap: An Action Agenda for Women and Girls. It aims to unite stakeholders in the nutrition, health and gender communities to take specific actions that improve women’s and girls’ nutrition while advancing maternal, newborn and child health and gender equality. The Action Agenda prioritizes actions for healthy diets, access to healthcare and social protection, gender equality and creating an enabling policy environment.
  • Adequate nutrition and breastfeeding are part of a woman’s right to bodily autonomy,  which UNFPA defines as  ‘the power and agency of individuals to make choices about their bodies without fear, violence or coercion’. While the concept is often used to advocate for reproductive justice, it goes beyond sexual and reproductive health and services and encompasses access to the wide range of care and services necessary to keep our bodies, minds and spirits healthy and whole – including nutrition – as per the Positive Women’s Network framework. UNFPA announced the Kigali Call to Action: United for Women and Girls’ Bodily Autonomy  for accelerated investments and actions, with women-led organizations and the feminist movement at the centre. Bodily autonomy is a strong platform to call for the right to breastfeed, as well as access to diverse and nutritious foods for all pregnant and lactating women, babies and toddlers. It is also a powerful aggregator to build a solidarity front against regressive forces. 
  • Maternal health is divisive and divided: As advocates calling attention on specific aspects of a woman’s health and wellbeing, we risk positioning women as a set of issues to be solved and competing for attention and space.  This does not only diminish our voice and reduce our impact, but it also leaves a vacuum for the opposition to fill, with clear, unified anti women’s rights messages.  Calling for reproductive justice, access to antenatal care, newborn and child health, respectful care, nutrition services, exclusive breastfeeding are not competing agendas, but all contribute to redressing the systemic inequalities that women face and that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Feminism, as a social justice movement, provides a larger and stronger platform to join forces and advance women’s nutrition, including nutrition for pregnant and lactating women.

Senate FY24 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Prioritizes Nutrition for Children and Families

1,000 Days commends the Senate Committee on Appropriations for prioritizing families in need both domestically and globally in their FY24 Agriculture Appropriations bill. In contrast to the House version, the Senate’s proposed bill-based funding on levels agreed to in the debt ceiling deal reached earlier this month is a superior starting point. Of note, the Senate’s bill funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) at $6.3 billion, maintaining current food package benefits and participation levels. The bill also acknowledges the importance of global nutrition programs through funding for international food assistance programs. It provides $1.8 billion in funding for Food for Peace, Title II programs and $248.3 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programs, maintaining enacted levels from FY2023. These programs can improve nutrition within the 1,000-day window through evidence-based nutrition interventions. At a time when stunting is impacting 148 million children under 5 globally and wasting is threatening the lives of 45 million children, it is critical that investments meet the moment to reverse the trend of increasing rates of malnutrition. With malnutrition costing the world $3.5 trillion in lost productivity and healthcare costs annually, Congress has the ability to change the trajectory of malnutrition which impacts current and future generations.

How well, or how poorly, mothers and children are nourished and cared for during the 1,000-day window has a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn and thrive. The Senate’s bill invests in federal programs that can significantly improve nutritional outcomes during this vital period of development for children. As the appropriations process moves forward, we urge Congress to base final funding decisions on the Senate proposal, helping families both domestically and internationally to have access to nutritious foods and services.