Undernutrition is preventable, unacceptable, and ending it is our responsibility

Nutrition is central to the 2030 Agenda. While target 2.2 calls for an end to all forms of undernutrition, good nutrition lays the foundation for achieving the SDGs. Improvements in nutrition directly support the achievement of ensuring healthy lives (SDG3), while also playing a role in ending poverty (SDG1), ensuring quality education (SDG4), achieving gender equality (SDG5), promoting economic growth (SDG8), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). This is because good nutrition allows children to survive, grow, develop, learn, play, participate and contribute.

Yet, undernutrition explains around 45% of deaths among children under five, mainly in low and middle-income countries. In addition to the human tragedy, this costs the global economy billions of dollars in lost productivity and health care costs.

These losses are almost entirely preventable.