In the last 23 years, global mortality rates have decreased by 47 percent. With funding from international governments and non-governmental organizations, developing countries across the globe have received unprecedented aid in the form of education and healthcare support to decrease mortality rates.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Rates of malnutrition among India’s children are almost five times more than in China, and twice those in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Too often, new mothers are adolescents. A staggering 75% of them are anemic and most on put on less weight during pregnancy than they should - 5 kilograms on average compared to the worldwide average of close to 10kgs.

Aru Pande

PUNE, INDIA — In western India, farmers like Popat Pokharkar are among the first in the country to harvest crops that are fortified with key nutrients to combat what is being called the country's hidden hunger.

Pokharkar, a fourth-generation farmer, is just getting ready to harvest this year’s pearl millet crop. The grain — a staple in India and in parts of Africa — helps feed his family and livestock at a time when much of his home state of Maharashtra is experiencing a drought.

• Les engagements annoncés permettront de vacciner plus d’un milliard d’enfants
• Le programme mondial d'éradication œuvrera simultanément sur plusieurs fronts, élargissant sa portée à l'amélioration de la vaccination des enfants et à la préservation des acquis
• Les nouveaux engagements des gouvernements et des philanthropes dynamisent les efforts déployés pour atteindre les objectifs budgétaires du plan

Key messages

• Assisting the victims of natural disasters, India being highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, earthquakes and droughts remains a priority.

• Alleviating the emergency needs arising from three protracted crises:
Jammu & Kashmir, the North-Eastern States, and Naxal-affected areas in central India, with a special emphasis on protection, health and nutrition remains a must.

Description

The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) was established in May 2000 and provides direct grant assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) while fostering long-term socioeconomic development. The grants target poverty reduction initiatives with the direct participation of nongovernment organizations, community groups, and civil society.

IRIN spoke to experts about how joined-up approaches and "climate justice" can help improve nutrition for the most vulnerable and shape sustainable development efforts in the future.

Progress shows that stunting in children can be defeated – UNICEF

DUBLIN, 15 April 2013 – A new UNICEF report issued today offers evidence that real progress is being made in the fight against stunted growth – the hidden face of poverty for 165 million children under the age of five. The report shows that accelerated progress is both possible and necessary.

The consortium, Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) has secured funding to implement its ambitious new research programme. The research will examine and make recommendations on how agriculture and food-related interventions can be better designed to improve nutrition, with particular focus on children and adolescent girls. The six year (2013 - 2018) research programme has been made possible by a grant from the UK government.