Improving people’s nutritional status will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of poverty, hunger, education, gender, economic growth, and inequality. Nutrition is an economic issue. It is also a health issue, a social issue, and an issue of basic human rights.
In 2015 approximately 793 million people globally were estimated to be hungry by the Food and Agriculture Organization (unable to meet their minimum daily calorie requirements).
Those most vulnerable are children under 2 years of age and pregnant women. Inadequate maternal and child nutrition is the underlying cause of 3.5 million child deaths every year and approximately 45 percent of under-five; mortality.
The rates of malnutrition of children under 5 years are high – particularly in developing countries: 159 milion children under age 5 are stunted (too short for their age – an indicator of chronic malnutrition), 50 million are wasted (low weight for their height – an indicator of acute malnutrition) and 41 million are overweight.
Nutritional damage in early life can lead to permanent impairment, including lower IQ and school performance, lower economic status in adulthood, and lower birth weight in the next generation.
Stunting (height for age) at 2 years is the single best predictor of human capital in a population.
Investments in nutrition have a high benefit-cost ratio of 16 to 1.
Poor nutrition undermines achievement of all other development goals. Yet it remains a low development priority in many countries with the highest burdens.
(Sources: Black et al. 2013, 2008; Bhutta 2013; Bryce et al. 2008; FAO 2015; Horton et al. 2014; Hoddinott et al. 2013; Victora et al. 2008; WHO 2015)