Goal 1: Recommendations
What needs to be done:
- To fulfil the rights of children and give them a chance of a good start in life, many governments need to increase their levels of investment in basic social services. More funds in the budgets of developing countries and higher percentage of official development assistance need to be devoted to basic social services. Outcome of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, when governments agreed to the ‘20/20’ compact, is a good example to follow (‘20/20’ compact – 20% of budget and 20% of official developmental assistence spent on basic social services); Unicef “Implementing the 20/20 Initiative”. For more details click here
- The MGD target of reducing underweight by 50% from the 1990 level will not be attainable, unless governments devote additional resources to address moderate malnutrition, which has been largely ignored, while preserving the reduction of severe malnutrition further (WHO).
- Set clear targets (each country its own) to reduce hunger and malnutrition and put into place effective monitoring and evaluation tools.
- Implement appropriate infant and young child feeding practices. This is particularly crucial among children less than five years in order to stifle and reverse malnutrition when mortality rates are highest (WHO, Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding).
- Improve coordination among sectors to benefit vulnerable groups and to accelerate the reduction of food insecurity and malnutrition
- Ensure greater food equity through increased food transfer from high-income states to the poor states. Hunger is a question of maldistribution and inequity – not a lack of food (WHO). That is why, despite abundance, hunger hovers; despite progress, poverty persists (The Center for Food Safety)
- Devote more resources to promote sustainable farming. Rich countries should increase knowledge and technology transfers as well as provide necessary local level training (space for NGOs). Poor states should draft and execute policies ensuring effective use of available resources. This should be followed by implementation of appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
- Encourage governments to apply WHO comprehensive step-by-step guidelines on how best to treat, in a clinical setting, and restore to health the severely malnourished child (WHO).
