Even before the pandemic, many families and communities struggled to provide their children with the good nutrition necessary for their physical and mental development. Now, the most vulnerable children are set to fall even further behind. Unless we take immediate action, we will see many more children die from preventable causes, and children and adults in the most vulnerable communities will face a global food and nutrition emergency that is unprecedented in our times.
We cannot let this happen. We must act now to both save children’s lives today and to safeguard their future from the scars of malnutrition.
Save the Children highlights in this report the following steps as critical to both protect and drive progress on nutrition in the time of a global pandemic:
- Ensure no child is left behind from progress to end malnutrition for all
- Address the malnutrition crisis in fragile and conflict-affected settings
- Strengthen essential health and nutrition services
- Promote, protect and support infant and young child feeding – particularly breastfeeding – and care for children and their caregivers
- Support and promote food security and livelihoods and access to nutritious food.