WHO’s nutrition mission is to work with Member States and partners to ensure universal access by populations to healthy, safe and sustainable diets as well as effective interventions. WHO’s ambition for nutrition is to end all forms of malnutrition.
That mission is of particular importance to the African Region which is undergoing a nutrition transition. This means that despite persistent high levels of undernutrition –including micronutrient deficiencies – overweight/obesity is increasing in all age groups, and with it, the burden of diet-related noncommunicable diseases. This so-called double burden of malnutrition can be found in individuals, households and populations.
In 2012, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, which includes six global targets to be achieved by 2025. The targets are to reduce the number of under-five stunted children by 40%; reduce anaemia in women of reproductive age by 50%; reduce the incidence of low birth weight by 30%; halt the increase in under-five overweight; increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding under the age of 6 months to at least 50%; and reduce and maintain under-five wasting below 5%.