Nutrition
Global hunger now afflicts nearly a billion people worldwide. Severe acute malnutrition, however, is the more immediate killer: it threatens the lives of 19 million children. Every year at least 3.5 million of them die from malnutrition-related causes.
Action Against Hunger’s methods for identifying and rescuing populations afflicted with acute malnutrition are internationally renowned, having pioneered revolutionary nutrition products and field tested treatment protocols that have become industry standards.
From rural mountain villages to the confines of refugee camps to ethnically divided cities, Action Against Hunger treats and prevents malnutrition in over 40 countries around the world. Our programs are launched most often during times of crisis and focus on the most vulnerable, including young children and women who are pregnant or nursing.
What We Do
Evaluate Nutritional Needs
To assess the root causes of a malnutrition outbreak, ACF collects baseline data on key nutritional indicators like local capacities and resources, cultural practices, infrastructure, and geography. These nutrition surveys are essential for mounting an effective, customized response.
Treat Acute Malnutrition
ACF treats cases of severe acute malnutrition with inpatient care (for those with medical complications) and with community-based, outpatient programs. Without treatment severely malnourished women and children would likely face imminent death.
Prevent Acute Malnutrition
ACF’s prevention activities provide Ready-to-Use-Foods to patients discharged from therapeutic care, children with moderate acute malnutrition, and children in communities faced with seasonal hunger. Prevention can save millions of lives while long-term solutions are developed.
Build Local Capacity
ACF strengthens public health systems to combat malnutrition. We field teams that consist overwhelmingly of local staff and integrate our programs into existing health structures. When crises subside, we ensure local capacity is in place to support continued improvements in communities’ nutritional health.
You can help Action Against Hunger end malnutrition. 
Recent Nutrition News
May 10, 2013
Action Against Hunger loves moms. Our expert field staff understands that a mother’s health and well-being can affect the health of her children, and even her whole community. That’s why so many of our programs focus on treating, educating, and empowering mothers, so they can become healthy themselves and help their families thrive. In honor of Mother’s Day, we are sharing the story of two moms who benefitted from our efforts in Afghanistan.... Read
March 6, 2013
In 1992, representatives from nearly 160 countries and many organizations working to fight hunger and undernutrition met to discuss their strategies and tools for this work at the first International Conference on Nutrition (ICN).... Read
February 26, 2013
Typhoon Bopha, which devastated the Surigao del Sur region of the Philippines when it hit in December, destroyed the livelihoods of more than six million people.
Our teams have been hard at work in the region, supporting the recovery of those affected by distributing food, building temporary shelters and latrines, and delivering sanitation and hygiene training.... Read
February 21, 2013
Our field staff regularly conducts health and nutrition-focused interviews with residents of a rural Andean region of Peru, an area where around 40% of families live in extreme poverty and up to 33% of children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition. Six in ten children here are anemic, which means they do not have enough iron in their blood.... Read
We're a Top Nonprofit
Action Against Hunger has been named one of the top nonprofits of 2012 by reviewers at Great Nonprofits!
