Every day, millions of children are robbed of their potential before they even start school. This is not a distant tragedy—it’s a global emergency. Malnutrition is one of the most critical, yet often overlooked, development challenges of our time. Although some progress has been made in recent years, the global fight against malnutrition has stalled, continuing to impact millions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
The consequences are devastating: stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and increased mortality. Economically, malnutrition perpetuates poverty and stifles national development, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable: women and children.
The good news is we know what works to save lives. By scaling up high-impact nutrition interventions and access to healthy food, we can prevent 6.2 million child deaths and nearly 1 million stillbirths over the next decade.
The economic case for action is equally compelling. Every dollar invested in combating malnutrition yields a $23 return through better health outcomes and increased productivity. Such investments could generate enormous economic benefits by ensuring children not only survive but thrive, finishing their education and ultimately living up to their full potential in the workforce.
Last week, world leaders gathered in Paris for the Nutrition for Growth Summit, hosted by France, putting nutrition center stage on the global development agenda. This pivotal moment is an opportunity to reignite the fight against malnutrition. It is a chance to drive bold action to help accelerate the reduction of malnutrition rates worldwide. To this end, we need financing, strong partnerships, and a laser sharp focus on sustainable nutrition solutions.
The World Bank Group is deeply committed to embedding nutrition actions and measurable outcomes across all our investments.
Our focus is clear: scaling up essential nutrition services, integrating nutrition into health systems and across other sectors, and leveraging financing through public and private solutions. For instance, in Nigeria, a World Bank-supported project has provided more than 13 million women, adolescent girls, and children with quality, cost-effective nutrition services over the past five years.
Cost-effective nutrition interventions are also a critical pathway to reach our ambitious goal of helping countries deliver quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030.
To accelerate progress, we will also mobilize the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm, and the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents—a global partnership of governments and philanthropies—to generate more funding and invest in large scale nutrition programs.
In Africa, for example, the IFC is expanding access to agricultural insurance for millions of smallholders, helping them manage the risks to crops from extreme weather, pests, and diseases. Innovations like these support food security and sustainable business practices.
We know that real impact in nutrition requires working across sectors. I have seen firsthand that nutrition programs are more effective when integrated with broader development efforts, including health, education, agriculture, clean water, and social protection. For example, Indonesia’s initiative to combat stunting combined nutrition services with early childhood education, clean water, and social assistance. As a result, stunting rates in children under five dropped from 31 percent to 22 percent between 2018 and 2023, helping over 20 million children escape this curse.
To support the Compact for Nutrition Integration, we will launch a learning and exchange platform for governments, the private sector, research institutions, and partners to share practical experiences and data on what works.
Investing in nutrition is smart economics, with every dollar spent generating high returns in terms of healthier populations, better qualified workforce, and stronger earning potential. With the right investments and our continued commitment, we can bring hope and a better future to the millions of children still caught in the grip of malnutrition.
This article was originally published in Les Echos in French on March 27, 2025.