Global coalition launches at Nutrition for Growth Summit to fight malnutrition through new Nutrition Integration Compact
The new Coalition is formed in recognition of the fact that all countries are facing a malnutrition crisis, with the latest figures showing 700 million people living in hunger while more than 880 million people live with obesity.
The Coalition will be launched in Paris during the first day of the two-day Nutrition for Growth Summit, an event that has been held by the host of the Summer Olympics since the London 2012 Games.
Against a backdrop of cuts to aid, the Coalition aims to maximise nutrition outcomes from sector investments and economic strategies and keep nutrition high on the global agenda.
The initiative responds to evidence that shows that improvements in nutrition underpin better health, productivity, economic growth and resilience but require action across many sectors. The Coalition also commits signatories to take action on nutrition and climate change, which threatens to undo progress to date and add to the burden of malnutrition without a change in course.
While the multisectoral approach is not new for developing countries, the Coalition will draw in a wider range of stakeholders, including donors, civil society, research institutes, development finance institutions. Formed of signatories to the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration, the Coalition is expected to increase resources and expertise available to countries over time.
“Treating nutrition as a health issue alone will not lift the burden of poor diets worldwide,” said Afshan Khan, Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, which helped coordinate the Compact with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). “This Compact and the Coalition recognise that good nutrition is the cornerstone of healthy, productive, and sustainable societies, and this means integrating nutrition into health, education, agriculture, climate and trade policies.”
The Coalition will foster peer learning, collaboration, and accountability among those who have pledged to integrate nutrition into their policies and programs. It will also explore new opportunities for countries to access finance for nutrition outcomes.
“Nutrition is a prerequisite for a nation's health and development,” said Dr Patricia Yoboue N'Goran-Theckly, advisor and coordinator of the National Council for Nutrition and Food, Côte d’Ivoire. “In Côte d'Ivoire, we have seen that integrating nutrition into health, agriculture and social protection policies can bring about real change. By signing up to the Compact and joining this coalition, we stand alongside other nations committed to integrating nutrition across all sectors to build a healthier, more resilient future.”
The UN-hosted SUN Movement will play a convening role in the Coalition by bringing the voices of SUN countries into global processes and offering a platform to share lessons and experiences.
Harvey Presence
Marchmont Communications
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