Potential to prosperity

EVERY $1 invested in nutrition yields $23 in economic returns according to global studies. This is particularly true when that investment happens early, from conception to two years of age, when the brain and body grow at their fastest, requiring adequate amounts of essential nutrients. The returns are real: they are seen in children who grow and develop well, stay healthier, remain in school longer and grow into productive adults. Good nutrition reduces healthcare costs, strengthens communities, and drives national progress. But the reverse is equally true — when this investment is missed, the costs are devastating, with inaction projected to cost $41 trillion globally over the next 10 years. Malnutrition robs children of their potential and nations of their future. It weakens bodies and impairs cognitive development, locking families into cycles of poverty that can last for generations. The world is off track to end malnutrition — a crisis that contributes to nearly half of all deaths among children under five and one in five maternal deaths.