Joint Statement for Nutrition for Growth Summit on Child Wasting


Joint Statement for Nutrition for Growth Summit on Child Wasting


The Joint Statement on Child Wasting (March 2025) emphasizes the urgent need for action to combat child wasting, a severe form of malnutrition that affects 45 million children under five globally. While progress has been made, with 9.3 million children receiving life-saving treatment in 2023—a 27% increase from the previous year—wasting remains a persistent challenge. The document highlights the economic rationale for investing in nutrition, stating that for every $1 spent on addressing undernutrition, a $23 return can be expected, while malnutrition costs the global economy $2.1 trillion annually. The statement underscores the importance of the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G) as a platform for bold commitments to achieve the World Health Assembly’s target of reducing child wasting to below 5% by 2025.