Advancing research, policy and practice to promote resilient and sustainable food and health systems in the year of action on nutrition: Proceedings of the 7th annual International Summit on Nutrition and Health

Abstract

In 2012, the World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsed global targets to reduce malnutrition in all its forms by 2025. The specific six nutrition targets aim to reduce low birth weight, stunting, wasting and anaemia in women of reproductive age;stop the rise of overweight in children under five years of age;and increase exclusive breastfeeding.1 In the following year, global targets for nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were further established, including halting the rise of diabetes and obesity in all age groups.2 Unfortunately, the world is off course to meet these targets with the exception of exclusive breastfeeding.3 On top of this, the Covid-19 pandemic has put enormous pressures on already strained food and healthcare systems contributing to increases in food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide.4 Malnutrition imposes high economic and social costs on individuals, families, and countries5;and effectively implementing preventative and curative actions to curb alarmingly high rates of malnutrition is still urgently needed.