Abstract

In 2017, the Investment Framework for Nutrition set the stage for transformative nutrition investments, culminating in strong donor and country commitments at the 2021 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit. Now—with only six years left until the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) end date of 2030—the world is facing polycrises, including food and nutrition insecurity; climate shocks; fiscal constraints; and rising rates of overweight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Despite a 44 percent decline in child stunting between 1990 and 2022, global progress is insufficient, as increasing anemia rates among women of reproductive age as well as stagnating rates of child stunting, wasting, low birthweight, and rising obesity among children and adults persist. Nutrition is a marker of human capital, and both obesity and undernutrition are key contributors to the Human Capital Index. As we approach the 2025 Paris N4G, investing to address global nutrition challenges has become more critical than ever. Investment Framework for Nutrition 2024 broadens the focus of the 2017 Investment Framework for Nutrition to include low birthweight and obesity, and it adds policy considerations, operational guidance for country-level implementation, and gender and climate change perspectives. Financially, an additional $13 billion is needed annually to scale up a discrete set of evidence-based nutrition interventions to 90 percent coverage ($13 per pregnant woman and $17 per child under age five per annum), with the largest needs in South Asia (34 percent of total global needs) and Sub-Saharan Africa (26 percent of total needs). These investments need to be complemented with a strategically designed package of policies to influence consumer preferences by modifying the social and commercial determinants of health and dietary behaviors. The economic benefits of scaling up nutrition investments far outweigh the costs and offer substantial returns on investment. Innovative financing mechanisms—including responsible private sector engagement and climate funds, together with measures to enhance the efficiency of the existing financing—are vital to bridge the funding gap. A global effort is essential now to renew financial commitments, explore new funding avenues, and drive nutrition-positive investments—with the ultimate goal of enhancing health, human capital, economic growth, and sustainability.

Citation

“Shekar, Meera; Shibata Okamura, Kyoko; Vilar-Compte, Mireya; Dell’Aira, Chiara; eds.. 2024. Investment Framework for Nutrition 2024 . Human Development Perspectives Overview booklet. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42164 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”

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https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42164

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Human Development Perspectives
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Publication: Investment Framework for Nutrition 2024

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