Opinion: The time to fight global malnutrition is now

Every 11 seconds, a child dies from malnutrition. Every 11 seconds, parents mourn. Every 11 seconds, a lifetime of potential is lost. Over a year, more than 3 million children around the world will die from malnutrition — four times the population of Washington, D.C. COVID-19 has placed already vulnerable children and families at even greater risk.

With lockdowns and lost wages, coupled with overwhelmed or inadequate health and food systems, rates of undernutrition are expected to increase profoundly. Experts have projected that the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions will result in an additional 13.6 million severely malnourished children and 168,000 additional deaths of children under 5 by 2022. In the time it will take to read this op-ed, as many as 200 children will needlessly die from malnutrition.

This is an unconscionable tragedy.

But, there is good news: if we act, we can change this trajectory and save children’s lives.

U.S. President Joe Biden has aptly described nutrition as “the foundation upon which every child’s future is built.” We know that well-nourished children complete more years of school, earn more throughout their lifetimes, and are at a lower risk for noncommunicable and infectious diseases.

The 1,000-day window between the start of the pregnancy and the child’s second birthday is a critical period of rapid cognitive development — with over a million new neural connections established every second.

If this window closes without adequate nutrition, it can cause irreversible damage to children’s growing brains, affecting their ability to do well in school, earn a good living, and be productive citizens — making it harder for their families and themselves to rise out of poverty.

The good news is we already know so much about what works. A set of simple and proven nutrition interventions — prenatal vitamins, support for breastfeeding mothers, vitamin A supplementation for children, and treatment for severe malnutrition — have come to be known as the “Power 4.”

The Lancet and the World Bank have recognized these interventions to be among the most cost-effective and lifesaving nutrition and health interventions for severe acute malnutrition ready to be scaled today. However, far too many families do not have access to these basic necessities for child survival and development despite their lifesaving potential.

Our organizations are at the front lines of trying to change that — implementing maternal and child health and nutrition programs, supporting health systems, working to support and invest in women and girls — who are both disproportionately impacted by malnutrition and play a critical role in ending it, and empowering health workers to bring lifesaving care to those who need it most.

As leaders of nonprofit organizations at the front line of the fight against global malnutrition, we know increased U.S. leadership is urgent. Congress has already taken important first steps, with House Resolution 189 and Senate Resolution 260 reaffirming strong, bipartisan support for U.S. leadership on the fight against malnutrition.

The Biden administration now faces a critical moment to assert bold leadership in the fight against malnutrition — a pillar of their “build back better” plan.

Guided by extensive input from more than 100 experts across global health and development, The Eleanor Crook Foundation spearheaded the development of a road map for how they can do just that: A plan called Nourish the Future.

The proposal lays out a plan to strengthen global health and food systems and scale up key nutrition interventions, building on the success of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative to increase access to affordable, high-quality nutritious foods.

Thanks to an analysis by Johns Hopkins University, this plan comes with detailed outcomes and a price tag. With an additional $887 million of investments in global nutrition programs annually over the next five years, the United States can lead the global effort to cut severe malnutrition by 50% in countries with the highest rates of malnutrition and reduce child deaths in those countries by up to 15%.

For less than a third of what Americans spend on Halloween candy each year, the Biden administration could lead the child survival revolution.

Scaling up the fight against global hunger and malnutrition presents an unparalleled opportunity to save lives, build human potential, amplify existing health and food system investments, and rebuild U.S. global leadership. We have the resources; we have the tools. But, alone, we will not save children’s lives.

But together, with bold leadership and investments from governments and philanthropists, and experienced nonprofits working alongside local community members, we can put an end to hunger and malnutrition and ensure that each child has the opportunity to survive and live up to their true potential.

Take a closer look at what it takes to improve child nutrition outcomes. You can join the conversation using the hashtags #NextGenNutrition and #InvestInNutrition.