About 194 million children born between now and 2030 are at risk of stunted growth if urgent action is not taken, warns Save the Children.
CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL INACTION ON MALNUTRITION REVEALED
The Child Atlas reveals that if current stunting trends persist, nearly one newborn on average will face stunted growth every second over the next seven years. Stunting is particularly damaging to children who are undernourished or have poor nutrition, leading to lifelong effects such as increased susceptibility to disease and infection and damage to physical and cognitive development.
STUNTING’S LIFELONG EFFECTS ON CHILDREN’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Stunting has significant lifelong effects on children’s growth and development. It makes them more vulnerable to health issues and can hinder their cognitive development.
HIGHEST BURDEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND SOUTH ASIA
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to bear the highest burden of stunting, with an estimated 86 million cases for children born between 2023 and 2030. South Asia follows closely with 67 million cases, while other regions, including Eastern Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin and Central America, also anticipate millions of children facing stunted growth.
TOP COUNTRIES FACING HIGH LEVELS OF STUNTING
Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are among the top four countries expected to face the highest levels of stunting in the next seven years, with over 25% of their populations currently experiencing crisis levels of hunger.
EXTREME POVERTY’S IMPACT ON CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT
More than half of projected stunting cases for children born in the next seven years will affect children living in the poorest 40% of households, highlighting the significant impact of extreme poverty on children’s development.
FALLING SHORT OF INTERNATIONAL TARGETS
Although progress has been made in reducing stunting since 2000, it has fallen short of internationally agreed targets. Efforts to reduce malnutrition must be intensified to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
CALL TO WORLD LEADERS AT UNGA
Save the Children calls on world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to address the root causes of acute food and nutrition insecurity. This includes ending global conflicts, tackling the climate crisis, addressing global inequality, and building resilient health, nutrition, and social protection systems.
The organization also calls for greater collaboration, dialogue, and investment across sectors, with leadership by local communities, to enhance response planning and implementation. Save the Children urges world leaders to scale up low-cost interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition, including community-based treatment, support for breastfeeding, and investment in community and primary-level healthcare.
