Global child and maternal nutrition—the SUN rises

Abstract

In April, 2010, a policy brief—Scaling Up Nutrition: A Framework for Action—was released at the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It was a collective effort stimulated by the publication in January, 2008, of The Lancet's Series on undernutrition. The Lancet Series encouraged an emphasis on the 1000 day window from the start of pregnancy to a child's second birthday, with interventions that are both cost-effective and yield high returns for cognitive development, individual adult earnings, and economic growth. A second Series on nutrition, published in The Lancet, 1 Black RE Victora CG Walker SP et al. the Maternal and Child Nutrition Study GroupMaternal and child undernutrition and overweight in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet. 2013; (published online June 6.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60937-X Google Scholar , 2 Bhutta ZA Das JK Rizvi A et al. The Lancet Nutrition Interventions Review Groupthe Maternal and Child Nutrition Study GroupEvidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost?. Lancet. 2013; (published online June 6.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60996-4 Google Scholar , 3 Ruel MT Alderman H the Maternal and Child Nutrition Study GroupNutrition-sensitive interventions and programmes: how can they help to accelerate progress in improving maternal and child nutrition?. Lancet. 2013; (published online June 6.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60843-0 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Gillespie S Haddad L Mannar V Menon P Nisbett N the Maternal and Child Nutrition Study GroupThe politics of reducing malnutrition: building commitment and accelerating progress. Lancet. 2013; (published online June 6.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60842-9 PubMed Google Scholar now explicitly shows that the solution to malnutrition relies on a collective effort in which all stakeholders—governments, academia, civil society, UN system organisations, foundations, development banks, and businesses—carry out specific roles in ensuring that interventions are delivered equitably and at scale.