Press release
24 April 2014. Child deaths from acute malnutrition could be ended in a generation, according to a new global campaign launched today by a coalition of leading international development organizations.
The campaign called Generation Nutrition shines a spotlight on the plight of the 52 million children in the world suffering from acute malnutrition – 1 in 12 children globally. In a report published today, campaigners reveal that 1 million children die every year as a result of inadequate nutrition and that millions more have their prospects irreversibly damaged by the devastating effects of malnutrition.
The organizations launching the Generation Nutrition campaign say it doesn’t have to be this way. They are calling for world leaders to agree on a new global target to bring down the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition by millions every year and take action to end child deaths from hunger.
Glen Tarman, International Advocacy Director at Action Against Hunger said, “In today’s world, that 1 million children are allowed to die each year from acute malnutrition is a scandal that should spur governments into action. For the first time in history we have the knowledge and the means to ensure no children’s lives are lost to hunger. The Generation Nutrition campaign is calling on governments to make child malnutrition a global priority. If we act now, we can end child deaths from acute malnutrition in a generation.”
Caroline Abla, Director of Nutrition and Food Security at International Medical Corps said: “Acute malnutrition is an avoidable tragedy. We know how to treat acutely malnourished children so they survive and recover and we know how to prevent the condition from occurring in the first place. With the right community health systems in place, in as little as 6 weeks, a child can be back up on their feet again, with his or her whole life ahead of them. It’s time to stand up for children facing deadly hunger and end this outrage.”
The Generation Nutrition report also provides detailed analysis, for the first time, on the fact that acute malnutrition does not only occur in humanitarian crises, but is most common in stable countries like India, Kenya and Indonesia. Campaigners say this demonstrates the need for acute malnutrition to be recognized as an ‘everyday emergency’ with resources targeted at addressing the condition at a community level.
Generation Nutrition is launching a global petition today calling on world leaders to prioritise tackling acute child malnutrition and to ensure that the post-2015 development framework that replaces the Millennium Development Goals prioritizes ending child deaths from hunger. Campaigners will present this petition to world leaders at the meeting of the United Nations in September 2014 as negotiations involving every nation on earth get underway.
Sign the Generation Nutrition petition.
Read the official report “Acute Malnutrition: An Everyday Emergency.”
The Generation Nutrition campaign brings together a diverse and growing group of civil society organizations who wish to see an end to child deaths from acute malnutrition. Generation Nutrition is a global campaign, calling on governments and the international community to take urgent action to prioritize the fight against acute malnutrition, and save the lives of millions of children under the age of five. Its members include Action Against Hunger | ACF International , AMREF FLYING DOCTORS, CARE France, CMAM Forum, End Water Poverty, ENN, Global Health Advocates, GRACE Africa, International Medical Corps, Islamic Relief Kenya, KAIN. KANCO, Malaria Consortium, Mercy USA Kenya. Population Services Kenya, Première Urgence-Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI), Results UK, Secours Islamique France, Solidarités International, TargetTB, WaterAid.