Nutrition for Growth in 2017 – Where do we go from here?

In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2016-2025 the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition. The Decade is a tool for all actors to set, track and achieve commitments to end all forms of malnutrition worldwide. Nutrition for Growth is kicking-off the Decade of Action by mobilizing new, specific and measurable commitments geared towards realizing the Decade’s vision, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and World Health Assembly global nutrition targets. Throughout the year, Nutrition for Growth will invite stakeholders to make new financial and policy commitments at a series of high-level events, culminating in a celebration in Italy around World Food Day.

Priority Moments

  • World Bank Spring Meetings (21-23 April, Washington)
  • African Development Bank Annual Meeting (22-26 May, India)
  • World Health Assembly (22-26 May, Geneva)
  • G7 Meeting (26-27 May, Taormina, Italy)
  • World Bank Annual Meeting (13-15 October, Washington)
  • Italy Nutrition event (October, Rome, Italy)
  • SUN Global Gathering (November)
  • Global Nutrition Report 2017 launch (November)
  • Nutrition for Growth 2020 (Tokyo)

 To kick-start the UN Decade of Action and sustain momentum through the next Nutrition for Growth in 2020, N4G 2017 will:

Secure new financial policy commitments to achieve the UN Decade of Action. New analysis shows that at a minimum, $3.6 billion each year is needed to make progress toward achieving the WHA nutrition targets – with a majority ($2.3 billion) coming from high burden countries.[1] New pledges throughout 2017 will be critical to securing the investment needed to achieve the globally agreed-upon WHA nutrition targets.

Enable sharing, learning and innovation on what works to address malnutrition. N4G events will provide opportunities for stakeholders to showcase their plans for delivery and promote the exchange of ideas on best practices in nutrition across planning-implementation cycles.

Foster a culture of transparency and accountability. To hold governments and stakeholders accountable, all pledges made at N4G events will be eligible to be recorded in the Decade of Action commitment repository and tracked throughout the decade.

Maintain visibility, interest, and commitment to nutrition. To spark high-level action, we will continue to generate public, media, and government interest in nutrition. N4G partners will add a new sense of urgency around the need to invest in nutrition.

[1] Within this financing scenario, an additional $1.2 billion is needed from donors annually. At a minimum, an additional $650 million annually from donors to support a package of interventions ready for full-scale up would serve as a down payment to reach the global goals.

The N4G roadmap is available here.