Promoting nutrition for women’s and children’s health

Overview

Nutritional status greatly infl uences an individual’s growth, educational attainment, productivity, reproductive success and susceptibility to disease. The health and fi nancial costs to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from malnutrition – both undernutrition and, increasingly, overnutrition – are extremely high. Global- and country-level interventions for improved nutrition have been proven to be both effi cacious and cost effective, but also require complex, integrated multi-sectoral input, including that of the private sector. The potential long-term economic, social and health impact of nutrition-related health problems necessitates the immediate prioritization of women and children’s nutritional needs by communities, national governments, donors and global partnerships.