The UN World Food Programme
(WFP) is marking World Food Day on October 16 by highlighting the power of
nutrition to transform individuals, societies and economies, and the need to
make it central to all development efforts.
“Undernourished girls and boys
face barriers in health, in school performance and later, in the workplace,
which limit their human potential and their capacity to contribute to the societies
in which they live,” said WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin, on the
occasion.
“Prioritising nutrition today
is an investment in our collective global future. The investment must
involve food, agriculture, health and education systems,” she said.
Today some 842 million people
- more than one in eight people in the world – suffer from chronic hunger. Yet
even more – around two billion people - lack the vitamins and minerals needed
to live healthy lives.
If the global community
invested $1.2 billion per year for five years on reducing micronutrient
deficiencies, the benefits in better health, fewer child deaths and increased
future earnings would generate gains worth $15.3 billion.
“In Nepal, WFP’s nutrition
interventions aim at supporting the government in improving the health and
nutritional status of mothers and young children,” WFP Representative in Nepal Nicole
Menage said. “This year alone 110,000 expecting and nursing mothers and their
children are being provided with take-home food rations through health posts
where they also access essential pre- and post-natal care.”
The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition’. Though there are challenges, the WFP is providing food assistance to 97 million people worldwide
The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition’. Though there are challenges, the WFP is providing food assistance to 97 million people worldwide
THE WFP FOCUSES:
· Rapidly increasing the
number of children and new mothers who receive new nutritionally enhanced food
products.
· Focusing on the crucial 1,000 day window - from the womb to two years
of age – where getting sufficient nutrients and calories is crucial for full
growth.
· Stepping up assistance
through cash and vouchers when food is available in markets, so consumers can
buy more fresh and varied local foods.
· Emphasising dietary
diversity and fresh foods in its school feeding programmes, by working with
local communities and farmers.
· Working with private partners and research
institutes to assess the nutritional impact of providing fortified rice in
school meals
· Supporting the creation of a
solid evidence base to guide countries in their nutrition policies and strategies,
like the recent Cost of Hunger in Africa survey.
1 comment:
I agree with this. If a nation wants a stable or better future, invest on nutrion programs and the likes.
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