First-ever Investment Framework for Nutrition and Call for Immediate Action launched by global leaders

Leading researchers and economists in the fields of nutrition and development on 18 April 2016 unveiled a groundbreaking analysis outlining what donors, governments and businesses need to invest to accelerate progress for nutrition.

The Investing in Nutrition: The Foundation for Development event hosted by the World Bank, the Results for Development Institute, and 1000 Days is part of a global effort to increase investment in nutrition, particularly during the 1000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday.

What is the need of Investment Framework for Nutrition?

• Investments in line with the new framework will drive progress toward achieving four of the six World Health Assembly (WHA) Global Nutrition Targets, specifically those focused on alleviating stunted growth, wasting, and anaemia, and increasing exclusive breastfeeding.

• These targets, endorsed by 194 country governments at the WHA in 2012, were last year enshrined within the second Sustainable Development Goal to end malnutrition in all its forms by the year 2030.

• With just 3.9 billion US dollars currently invested each year to reach the WHA targets, urgent expanded action and investment are needed.

• A package of proven, cost-effective actions can be implemented immediately to jump start progress.

• Investing an additional 2.2 billion US dollars per year in nutrition over the next 10 years will help to save an estimated 2.2 million lives and result in 50 million fewer stunted children by 2025, empowering them to grow to their full physical and cognitive potential.

• To finance these priority actions, together country governments will need to invest on average an additional 1.4 billion US dollars per year while donors will need to finance on average an additional 650 million US dollars per year on top of current investments.

• The remaining annual funding needs can be met by innovative financing mechanisms and contributions from households.

• A broader investment of 7 billion US dollars per year on top of current funding is needed to right decades of underinvestment in nutrition and achieve the global targets for stunting, anaemia, and exclusive breastfeeding, and to mitigate wasting.

• This investment of 70 billion US dollars over the next ten years could yield tremendous returns, i.e., 3.7 million child lives saved, at least 65 million fewer stunted children, and 265 million fewer women suffering from anaemia by 2025 as compared to 2015.

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