Advocacy

The facts are stark. In the world today, a quarter of our children are undernourished.   925 million people were undernourished in 2010 and the numbers are on the increase in several parts of the world. Furthermore, the world continues to ignore the plight of most of the 55 million children under 5 years of age who are affected by acute malnutrition.

3.5 million deaths every year are caused by undernutrition with severe acute malnutrition contributing to 1 million of these. Undernutrition also undermines school attendance and educational attainment, placing a huge burden on health care systems, and delaying economic growth and human development in developing countries.

Undernutrition is a scandal, a particular outrageous one, because its solutions are known, tested and feasible.  Based on our research and experience working in some 40 countries with vulnerable communities, Action Against Hunger works to put the fight against hunger and undernutrition high on the political agenda. Focusing the aid agenda on nutrition security is essential for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, which all countries agreed to deliver. 

Working with partners and allies, Action Against Hunger seeks to strengthen civil society voices and to leverage action at local, national, regional and international levels to ensure that decision-makers respond rapidly to the problem of undernutrition.

What we are  calling for:

• Strong political will to prevent undernutrition and to scale up the diagnosis and treatment of acute malnutrition to tackle both the underlying causes and the consequences of undernutrition
• Coherent and coordinated responses to address hunger and undernutrition developed within agriculture, health and nutrition sectors
• The participation of local civil society organisations, such as aid organisations, universities and not-for-profit organisations, in responding to hunger and undernutrition
• Early identification and treatment of acute malnutrition by strengthened national health systems
• Support of nutrition sensitive agriculture policies
• Livelihood diversification, social protection and nutrition interventions to strengthen the capacity of households to resist shocks
• Strategies to prepare for and reduce the risk from disasters including actions which mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change
• Continuity of financial investment from suitable sources

Acute Malnutrition Advocacy Initiative (AMAI)

The AMAI aims to accelerate progress towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 1 and 4 by encouraging investment in nutrition in emergency, recovery and development contexts, with specific focus on the treatment of acute malnutrition through the health sector.

By integrating the prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition into strengthened health systems and promoting it as a major public health issue, Action Against Hunger hopes to drastically increase funding in the areas that matter and help save the lives of those at most risk. 

The AMAI will help in countries such as Somalia, which is suffering from the most severe food and nutritional crisis in the world today. Children are at particular risk, with 1 in 3 children severely acutely malnourished in some areas of the country. Find out more...