28
Jan

The world faces a dual burden of malnutrition, encompassing both undernutrition (stunting) and overnutrition (obesity) alongside related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Despite progress in reducing stunting rates by 44% globally between 1990 and 2022, the challenge persists for over 71 million children across South Asia and East Asia Pacific. Similarly, obesity and NCDs are rising sharply, driven by transitions in food systems and dietary behaviors, compounding healthcare and economic burdens.

Addressing these challenges together through comprehensive, integrated strategies presents a unique opportunity to enhance health and economic outcomes. This proposed session will combine lessons from stunting reduction efforts with insights on tackling obesity and NCDs through food systems transformation. The session will introduce the World Bank’s 2024 update of the Investment Framework for Nutrition and highlight what and how countries are delivering on its recommendations at scale.  It will share homegrown lessons from Asia and the Pacific on the importance of supply-side integration of high impact nutrition interventions in primary health care (PHC) service delivery and financing; strengthening demand for nutrition interventions and services; and enhancing multisectoral governance, accountability, and public financial management, with health at the core. It will issue the imperative for stakeholders to renew policy and financial commitments at the Paris Nutrition for Growth Summit (March 2025) and at the same time explore new and innovative sources of financing by including nutrition in universal health coverage and adaptive safety net programs, repurposing agrifood subsidies for healthy diets, and others. It will further equip participants with the knowledge and tools to engage effectively in policy dialogue, support project design, and enhance implementation efforts to address obesity and NCDs through food systems approaches.