An ambitious new initiative led by UNICEF aims to prevent and treat malnutrition in women and children by rapidly scaling up finance and solutions to the issue — and coordinating among global donors so that they can target their investments in nutrition more effectively.
Despite various efforts to reduce child malnutrition, the number of children worldwide suffering from wasting — a severe form of malnutrition where children become weak and emaciated — has been rising since 2016, affecting an estimated 45 million children in 2022, according to UNICEF. The effects on their bodies and brains can be lifelong and irreversible. What’s more, two-thirds of children worldwide, or over 400 million, are undernourished.
The Child Nutrition Fund, which launched in 2022 and began operating last November, is a financing mechanism that fast-tracks policies, programs, and resources on malnutrition while also seeking long-term solutions. It partners with governments, local organizations, and other global institutions.