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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Global leaders sign comprehensive charter to tackle stunting in children -Kounteya Sinha

Global leaders sign comprehensive charter to tackle stunting in children -Kounteya Sinha

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published Published on Jun 9, 2013   modified Modified on Jun 9, 2013
-The Times of India


LONDON: The fight against stunting - the world's most urgent nutritional challenge - got a big boost through a global agreement signed by world leaders in London on Saturday.

The Global Nutrition for Growth Compact signed by countries and global leaders committed to reduce the number of children under five who are stunted by an additional 20 million in developing countries like India by 2020. At present stunting affects 165 million children worldwide.

The World Health Assembly recently agreed a new global target of a 40% reduction in the number of stunted children by 2025. Nearly 50% of children in India are stunted.

Among the participants in the central London summit, hosted by Britian's PM David Cameron, were two presidents and four prime ministers from Africa, philanthropist Bill Gates, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and Unilever chief executive Paul Polman.

Donors have today secured new commitments of up to £2.7 billion ($4.15 billion) to tackle under nutrition up to 2020.

The charter also set itself a target to improve the nutrition of 500 million pregnant women besides improving saving the lives of at least 1.7 million children by increasing breastfeeding and better treatment of severe and acute malnutrition.

The UK has committed an additional £375m of funding from 2013 to 2020.

Countries that have previously increased nutrition funding, like the US and Canada, on Saturday committed themselves to continuing those high levels of funding while others, like the European Union, the World Bank and Ireland, have increased their support substantially.

Undernutrition is a chronic lack of nutrients that can result in death, stunted physical development and in a lower resistance to illnesses in later life.

It is the biggest underlying cause of death in under five-year-olds in the world and is responsible for 8,000 child deaths each day.

It stunts the growth of children, reducing their potential, undermining their adult earnings by up to 10%, and in some countries reducing the size of the economy by 11% as a result.

The funds will focus on making world-class scientific knowledge and evidence available, including through a new Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. This will enable farmers to grow nutrition-rich and resilient crops (such as vitamin-enriched sweet potato and corn) to feed their families and local areas, and promoting breastfeeding as a priority for protecting nutrition and saving lives.

This will also support the governments of developing countries to formulate high quality national nutrition plans and helping them to mobilize domestic resources for them ensuring businesses in developing countries place good nutrition at the heart of their workforce welfare priorities.

International development secretary Justine Greening said, "Undernutrition is stopping children and countries from reaching their full potential, accounting for the loss of billions of dollars in productivity. A strong and healthy workforce is vital if a country's economy is to prosper. This means business and science taking a lead in fighting for good nutrition because we understand that better nutrition is the smart way to tackle extreme poverty, child mortality and economic underachievement.

Jamie Cooper-Hohn, president of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), said "Today marks the start of a sustained financial and political commitment to ending undernutrition within a generation. Working together, this unique coalition can take action which history will judge as having contributed to saving the lives of millions of women and children and setting nations on a strong economic path to prosperity."


The Times of India, 8 June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Global-leaders-sign-comprehensive-charter-to-tackle-stunting-in-children/articleshow/20496219.cms


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