Malnutrition is a silent emergency that affects billions of people. The United Nations estimates that one in three people are impacted with some 156 million children suffering from stunted growth and 99 million from underweight. No country is spared from the problem.
Since 2010, the Scale Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement (scalingupnutrition.org) has been leading a global push to build a world free of malnutrition by 2030. It is based on the principle that everyone has the right to adequate, safe and nutritious food. It brings together the United Nations and government officials, civil society, donors, businesses and scientists from 57 countries to engage, inspire and invest in collective actions to achieve its goal.
Recently, IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong, became one of 29 global leaders appointed by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to shape and direct the efforts of the SUN Movement and its mission to eliminate malnutrition by 2030.
“Good nutrition is essential to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted a year ago, and we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the ways we work together. There is no better time than the present to bring together such an exciting group of nutrition leaders,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Members of the Lead Group include current and former Heads of State and national and international leaders on the issue. During their inaugural meeting on 21 September, the Lead Group set the road map for the Movement’s objectives and priority actions over the next four years.
“Parliamentary action on malnutrition is critical to achieving the goal”, explains Martin Chungong. “At IPU’, we concentrate our efforts on ending malnutrition in our maternal and child health initiatives. We believe children in particular bear the most enduring consequences of this problem.”
“For IPU and for me, becoming a member of the Lead Group is another vital way for the Organization to advocate for and drive global efforts to eradicate malnutrition and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,”.
