The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is calling on global leaders to increase investments in critical areas of global health to support the well-being and nutrition of children, particularly in light of the challenges posed by the ongoing global climate crisis.
This plea was articulated in the foundation’s latest report, the eighth annual Goalkeepers report titled “A Race to Nourish a Warming World.”
The report projects that without prompt and concerted international efforts, the impact of climate change could lead to an additional 40 million children suffering from stunted growth and 28 million more facing wasting conditions between 2024 and 2050.
To address these looming threats, the report emphasizes the need for immediate action to avert these potential outcomes. By implementing effective and timely solutions, not only can these distressing projections be mitigated, but it can also help communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, as well as stimulate much-needed economic growth.
The report also highlights concerning statistics from the World Health Organization in 2023, indicating that 148 million children suffered from stunting and 45 million children from wasting.
These are identified as severe and often irreversible forms of chronic and acute malnutrition, resulting in hindered physical and cognitive development, increased vulnerabilities, and heightened risk of mortality among affected children.
The foundation further draws attention to the diminishing share of foreign aid directed towards Africa, despite the region bearing a significant burden of health challenges, with over half of global child deaths occurring there.
Notably, the proportion of foreign aid allocated to African nations declined from 40% in 2010 to 25%, its lowest level in two decades.
This trend places millions of children at heightened risk of preventable diseases and mortality, jeopardizing the substantial gains in global health made across Africa from 2000 to 2020.
“In 2023, the World Health Organisation estimated that 148 million children experienced stunting, a condition where children don’t grow to their full potential mentally or physically.
“And 45 million children experienced wasting, a condition where children become weak and emaciated, leaving them at much greater risk of developmental delays and death.
“These are the most severe and irreversible forms of chronic and acute malnutrition,” it said.
The foundation observed that as global issues become more severe, the proportion of foreign aid directed to Africa has diminished.
It reported that in 2010, 40 percent of foreign aid was allocated to African nations, but this figure has dropped to 25 percent, the lowest it has been in two decades, despite over half of all child fatalities occurring in Africa.
The foundation stated that this trend puts hundreds of millions of children at significant risk of death or illness from preventable diseases and jeopardizes the remarkable advancements made in global health across Africa from 2000 to 2020.
Bill Gates, Co-chair of the foundation, said: “Today, the world is contending with more challenges than at any point in my adult life: inflation, debt, new wars.
“Unfortunately, aid isn’t keeping pace with these needs, particularly in the places that need it the most.
“I think we can give global health a second act—even in a world where competing challenges require governments to stretch their budgets,” he said.
According to the World Bank, undernutrition costs $3 trillion in lost productivity annually due to its negative impact on physical and cognitive abilities.
In low-income countries, this loss ranges from three to 16 percent of GDP, equivalent to a global recession every year at 2008 levels. Investing in nutrition is seen as the most effective way to combat the effects of climate change, as solving malnutrition could have wide-reaching benefits such as reducing poverty, improving vaccine efficacy, and decreasing fatalities from diseases like malaria and pneumonia.
Implementing new agricultural technologies to increase milk production and fortification of staple foods like salt and bouillon cubes could prevent millions of cases of malnutrition-related illnesses in the coming years.
Additionally, providing high-quality prenatal vitamins and micronutrient supplements to pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries at a low cost could save lives and improve birth outcomes.
Emerging research into the microbiome also shows potential in enhancing overall health by aiding nutrient absorption, boosting immune systems, and promoting proper growth, not only in cases of malnutrition but also in addressing overnutrition in wealthy nations.
NAIJATRAFFIC states that the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers report monitors progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations to tackle global issues and achieve sustainable development by 2030.
