Known to those in the global health sector as “hidden hunger,” undernutrition is an underlying cause of death for more than 2.6 million children a year, claiming a third of all child deaths globally.
In the developed world, undernutrition is addressed through fortification of staple foods such as flour and salt, though this intervention — often a joint effort between industry and government — is almost as hidden as the disease it seeks to eradicate.
Organizations like the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and others continue to battle malnutrition and encourage governments to adopt the practice of food fortification in hot spot countries.