Nutrition
Global hunger now afflicts more than a billion people worldwide. Severe acute malnutrition, however, is the more immediate killer: it threatens the lives of 19 million children. Every year as many as 5 million of them die from malnutrition-related causes. 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.
Chad: A View from the Ground
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Sitting in front of a therapeutic Stabilization Center in Kanem, Western Chad, one-year-old Adam smiles weakly as his mother Hawa cradles him. Determined to save her son, Hawa traveled five days by camel in the burning heat to bring him to the nearest health center. His whole body swollen with edema, Adam was in an advanced stage of acute malnutrition, a condition that can be deadly if left untreated. » Read more |
Sahel Food Crisis: 10 Leading Aid Agencies Call for Urgent 'Surge' in Aid for 10 Million Hungry People
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NEW YORK, NY— Ten leading aid agencies today called for a 'surge' in the humanitarian effort to help 10 million people at risk of acute hunger across the Sahel region of West and Central Africa. The center of the crisis is Niger, where seven million people, almost half the population, have not enough food. » Read more |
Malnutrition Crisis in Chad Threatens Thousands of Young Lives
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Country Director Jean-François Carémel discusses the malnutrition crisis in the Bahr el Ghazal region of western Chad, where Action Against Hunger’s recent surveys show the severe malnutrition rate for children under five at 27 percent—almost double the emergency threshold set by the World Health Organization. » Read more |
Building Capacity in Congo: A Life-Saving Partnership
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Action Against Hunger is at the forefront of efforts to treat acute childhood malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where thousands of children currently face starvation in the remote southern stretches of the country. And we’re doing so in ways that lay the groundwork for solutions long after we leave by working with the Ministry of Health to boost local capacity. » Read more |
Hunger and Malnutrition Crisis Resurfaces in Niger
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NEW YORK, NY—In response to massive food shortages and staggering acute malnutrition rates in Niger, global humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger | ACF International launched an emergency response reinforce the health system, provide income for vulnerable families to purchase food at local markets, and bolster a national initiative to dampen the impact of the crisis. » Read more |
Action Against Hunger’s International Network produces a variety of published works from context analysis and regional assessments to community surveys and field reports.
List of Publications
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Summary Report: Management of Acute Malnutrition in Infants (MAMI) Project View [597 KB] This summary report—a collaborative effort between Action Against Hunger and other agencies— identifies key findings of the Management of Acute Malnutrition in Infants Project (MAMI). The project focuses on the guidelines, policies and strategies already in place for the treatment of acutely malnourished infants under six months of age, and offers recommendations for future practices and research. |
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Strategic Programming for Community Nutrition Interventions View [1.67 MB] Combining information from Guinea, Malawi and Mali, this Action Against Hunger publication discusses implementation techniques and procedures to improve Community Workshops. Using experiences and results from those countries, the guide covers everything from context analysis to community participation. |
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Feeding Hunger & Insecurity: Field Analysis of Volatile Global Commodity Food Prices, Food Security, & Childhood Malnutrition View [2.41 MB] Rapid price increases in early 2008 led to riots in over 30 countries that sparked international calls for action and repositioned as global priorities the need to combat hunger and reinvigorate local agriculture. Action Against Hunger’s in-depth field study, Feeding Hunger & Insecurity, reminds us the crisis is far from over and that urrgent funding is needed to translate global policy into effective, targeted responses addressing the needs of those most affected. |
Evaluating Nutritional Needs
Treatment of Acute Malnutrition
Prevention of Acute Malnutrition
Capacity-Building & Technical Support
- As many as 5 million malnourished children die every year because they lack access to the necessary treatment.
- 19 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a deadly condition if not treated.
- $50 can provide 45 days of life-saving treatment for a malnourished child.
