CHALLENGE

Although malnutrition is responsible for nearly 50 percent of global child deaths (nearly 3 million child deaths each year), the U.S. Government and other leading donors have serially under-invested in programs to combat global malnutrition.  Global malnutrition has worsened significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current global food security crisis, with estimates that 

OUR APPROACH

KHG led a multi-year coalition advocacy effort before Congress to cultivate a new generation of bipartisan congressional champions on global nutrition. KHG spearheaded annual appropriations advocacy campaigns and the development and advancement of authorizing legislation to both increase funding and to reform and improve the effectiveness for USG nutrition assistance programs.  

RESULTS

• Between FY16 and FY22, USG assistance for global nutrition programs more than doubled from $75 million to $155 million. 

• Congress drove the adoption of a new USAID multi-sector nutrition strategy and began directing annual appropriations to a core set of nutrition interventions with the highest impact and strongest evidence base. 

• Introduction of the bipartisan Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act, which:

  • Elevated nutrition within USAID

  • Authorized a new Nutrition Leadership Council to increase cross-agency coordination

  • Increased focus of nutrition assistance resources in target countries