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Tag: nutrition

Coming Soon: First-Ever Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant Women & Young Children

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited 1,000 Days and several other stakeholders to share comments related to the development of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) which will – for the first time ever – include recommendations for pregnant women and children under age two. The public comments, which will be made public on USDA’s website within a month, were an important step forward as USDA stated its intent to make the 2020 DGAs process transparent, data driven and science-based.

Why do the new DGAs matter and what is at stake?

1,000 Days’ analysis of the state of early nutrition in the U.S. shows that far too many young children and their families are not getting the nutrition they need to thrive. One in 5 babies in the U.S. is never breastfed and 1 in 4 children ages 1 to 2 do not receive the recommended dietary allowance for iron—one of the most important brain-building nutrients. Further, over half of toddlers and preschoolers have one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day, contributing to our nation’s high rates of childhood obesity.

It is within this context that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are more critical now than ever, as they will, for the first time, include recommendations for pregnant women and very young children. The 2020 DGAs and the recommendations for pregnant women and young children will inform federal nutrition programs that reach young children and their families, as well as serve as an important reference point for physicians, nutrition counselors, and early childcare providers among others. Moreover, the new guidance will also provide parents and caregivers with the evidence-based information they need to give their children the best chance to lead healthy, prosperous lives that are free of preventable chronic disease.

How can groups get involved?

At 1,000 Days we are closely following the development of the 2020 DGAs, and will continue to communicate opportunities to become engaged in the process as they emerge.

In the meantime, here are some ways to get involved:

  • Read the recent reports by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Science, Medicine and Engineering (HMD) here and here and familiarize yourself with recommendations for the 2010 DGAs process.
  • When the call for nominations for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee opens, nominate qualified experts with backgrounds related to maternal and young child health and nutrition, epigenetics, child development and breastfeeding.
  • Be on the look-out for open comment periods and submit comments in support of strong, timely, and science-based recommendations for pregnant women and young children.
  • Reach out to Cara Brumfield at Cara@thousanddays.org to connect on more opportunities to be engaged.

Report From UNGA: Progress On Nutrition Is Possible

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by what can seem like insurmountable global challenges. Here at 1,000 Days, we are constantly inspired by stories of success around the world. We know that despite the obstacles that remain, millions of lives have already been transformed by improving nutrition.

Take for instance a recent success story from Peru– where they successfully reduced stunting by 10% over the past five years thanks to tireless advocacy and a comprehensive nutrition strategy. Peru’s success is just one of many global success stories that are featured in a new report released last week by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Stories like this remind us that the work we do can save and improve lives.

The World’s Attention Must Be On Nutrition
Dr. Tedros Speaking At Goalkeepers For Nutrition Side Event

Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director General, World Health Organization

The truth is when it comes to nutrition, we know what works. What’s needed now is an urgent prioritization of proven interventions so that we have the money, the policies, and the partnerships to do what works.

We carried this message to New York last week, as world leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly. There, we called on attendees to take urgent and decisive action to increase investments in nutrition to save and improve lives around the world.

In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Power of Nutrition, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and the World Health Organization, 1,000 Days hosted an event at UN Headquarters where we were honored to have the new Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom. In his remarks, Dr. Tedros reiterated this call to action: “If we want to end stunting, the world’s attention must be on nutrition.”

1,000 Days’ Mwandwe Chileshe also lent her voice as a global nutrition advocate from Zambia to an event on Good Food and nutrition, hosted by Global Citizen and the SDG2 Advocacy Hub.

As part of her work with Global Citizen, Mwandwe also attended the Global Citizen Festival red carpet where she highlighted that investing in nutrition is critical to ending extreme poverty.

Carrying the Message Forward

The opportunity to be around so many people working to see a world free from poverty and malnutrition was inspiring. And yet, there is much more work that needs to be done.

A recent report highlights a devastating trend: in 2016, the number of chronically undernourished people is estimated to have increased by nearly 40 million people compared to 2015. This news signals the urgent need for greater action and political will in the fight against malnutrition.

We can change this trajectory with concerted action. When good nutrition is prioritized – especially during the critical 1,000-day window between pregnancy and age two – children are given the chance to reach their full potential. And that potential, when nurtured and nourished throughout life, knows no bounds.

At 1,000 Days, we will continue to carry this message forward. A high-level Global Nutrition Summit to be hosted in Italy in November is an important upcoming platform to reinforce that now is not the time to retreat.

Progress is possible, but it is not inevitable. We must act now to invest in nutrition and create a healthier and more prosperous future.

Nutrition & WASH: A Recipe for Success

In the lead-up to World Water Week, WaterAid, SHARE (Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity) and Action Against Hunger launched a new report, “The recipe for success,” in which they discuss a key ingredient for fighting global malnutrition – WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). The report highlights that 50% of undernutrition in children under five is associated with repeated diarrhea and infections resulting from poor WASH conditions. Additionally, poor sanitation is listed as the second leading cause of stunting worldwide.

Given the report’s findings, it is clear that poor WASH conditions can undermine access to good nutrition. A better understanding of how WASH and nutrition are linked prove critical in the fight against malnutrition.

The findings of this report are playing out around the world, but one acute example is taking place in Yemen right now. More than 60 percent of the Yemeni population faces hunger and starvation, and UNICEF estimates that the country is currently home to the worst outbreak of cholera in the world. The outbreak affects nearly all of Yemen and there have been nearly 500,000 cases of suspected cholera and about 2,000 associated deaths reported to date. Unsurprisingly, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, “Malnourished children and pregnant women are at greatest risk of death as they face the “triple threat” of conflict, famine and cholera.”

Poor WASH systems and a lack of access to good nutrition, mixed with conflict, is undermining the resilience of the already vulnerable Yemeni population. This makes it harder for women and children to recover from extreme bouts of diarrhea caused by cholera. The situation is so dire that at this moment, urgent humanitarian assistance and an end to conflict in the region is needed to save lives.

The children that survive these circumstances are still at risk of suffering the long-term consequences of chronic malnutrition and stunted growth. The potential for children to attain optimal growth in life lies within the first 1,000 days between when a woman becomes pregnant and her child’s second birthday. We must ensure that even in the face of crises this period in life is protected.

This World Water Week (Aug 27 – Sept 1) is a time to refocus on the needs around water and sanitation but hopefully also a time to make policymakers aware that WASH and nutrition are connected and in-turn, so are the solutions. Just as malnutrition and poor WASH mutually reinforce bad health outcomes, promotion of good nutrition and WASH policies that work together result in healthier and more nourished communities. This means ensuring that WASH and nutrition are included in each other’s policies and plans, implementation is consistent and institutional structures are strengthened. WASH and nutrition programming that work together to mitigate the malnutrition crisis worldwide must be a priority.

Mwandwe Chileshe is a Global Program Associate at 1,000 Days and a Global Health Corps fellow. In her role at 1,000 Days, Mwandwe supports the organization’s efforts to mobilize greater resources for global nutrition by supporting the management of ICAN and participating in international coalitions. She previously led the Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance, a network that works to improve the status of nutrition in Zambia.