The National Gathering met alongside Concern Worldwide for a groundbreaking conference on undernutrition.The umbrella initiative to globally combat undernutrition is called 1,000 Days to symbolize the 1,000 days between pregnancy and the age of two when nutrition is most critical to physical and cognitive development.
Kevin Farrell, Irish Special Hunger Envoy
- We all have a role to play
(The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been key to the 1,000 Days Scaling Up Poverty campaign.)
Dr. David Nabarro, U.N. Special Representative for Food Security and Nutrition
- The challenge is to address the lifelong handicap of undernutrition
- Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) is a movement, not a program
- People are chronically hungry and short of micronutrients
- Climate, income, and infrastructure affect food access
- The keys are: availability, access, and utilization
- Women are key to nutrition
- Examples of hope for nutrition reform: malaria, TB eradication, HIV/AIDS advances
- Hold stakeholders accountable: World Food Programme, grassroots efforts, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, development officials
- World Food Programme once mentioned the "burden of knowledge" (ignorance is bliss)
- Need increased effort at national levels
Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for PBS Newshour, moderated a panel discussion among the following nutrition and hunger professionals. The notes are from their opening statements, most of which focused on progress in their respective countries and/or organizations.
Anna Lartey, professor of food science at the University of Ghana and president-elect of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences
- Ghana needs policy change to increase domestic food production
- The country now offers free maternal health services and enhanced social services
- Referred to Kofi Annan saying that society is the new superpower
- Need accountability of commitments
Charles McCormack, CEO of Save the Children U.S.
- Strength of the private sector exemplified by creation of the polio vaccine
- Private sector must work with other sectors (polio vaccination became possible through other sectors)
- Got to work together better with holistic and creative cooperation
- Margaret Meade quote: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Because of the undeniable relationship between nutrition and chronic hunger, it's only natural that Bread would take part in 1,000 Days. To drive home the overwhelming presence of undernutrition in the world and the outstanding hope that has been and will continue to fill little bellies, Bread and Concern hosted several speakers who have dedicated their lives and careers to nutrition and/or hunger.
Per my usual coverage of the National Gathering, my notes and pixelated Blackberry photos will hopefully paint a picture of the progress humankind accomplished today. For significantly better photos, check out Bread's Flickr account.
- Sara
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Maria Otero, U.S. Undersecretary of State
- Nobel laureates have published that nutrition improvement is the best investment
- Clean water is critical: 40% of the world doesn't have safe water and the highest cause of death for kids under five is unsafe water
- Food insecurity has been elevated by foreign policy through Feed the Future
- Nutrition's greatest impact happens between pregnancy and two years of age
- Success will be a result of political will and leadership of civil society
- The U.S. government is working alongside the Irish Government
- Nutrition investments are cost effective, proven, and successful and short-term and long-term
Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State (video address)
- The U.S. has quadrupled nutritional funding in Tanzania
- She commissioned the 1,000 Days website to be improved
- The 1,000 days of the campaign are September 2010 - June 2013
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| Video address from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton |
- 20% of Irish foreign assistance goes to poverty
- irreversible nature of childhood undernutrition is what strikes him the most
- Ireland has a recent history with hunger
- Ireland's action to support international nutrition: partnerships for micronutrient supplements, enhanced sweet potatoes in Ethiopia and Malawi, Sierra Leone national nutrition strategy, UN task force support
- Work across sectors
- Success requires country ownership and coordination among supporters
- Need an inclusive approach, not just private sector
- Important to measure impact (return on investment)
- Unless we act (not just analyze and talk), nothing will happen
- "Effective" defined as change at the household and family levels
- Describes chronic hunger as "massive human tragedy" and "scandal of widespread malnutrition"
Melinda French Gates, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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| Photograph: Stuart Isett/Polaris |
- Mothers everywhere have the same goal: the best for their kids
- Sharing ideas with women around the world - We all have a role to play
(The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been key to the 1,000 Days Scaling Up Poverty campaign.)
Dr. David Nabarro, U.N. Special Representative for Food Security and Nutrition
 |
| Dr. Nabarro received a standing ovation after his talk. |
- Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) is a movement, not a program
- People are chronically hungry and short of micronutrients
- Climate, income, and infrastructure affect food access
- The keys are: availability, access, and utilization
- Women are key to nutrition
- Examples of hope for nutrition reform: malaria, TB eradication, HIV/AIDS advances
- Hold stakeholders accountable: World Food Programme, grassroots efforts, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, development officials
- World Food Programme once mentioned the "burden of knowledge" (ignorance is bliss)
- Need increased effort at national levels
Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for PBS Newshour, moderated a panel discussion among the following nutrition and hunger professionals. The notes are from their opening statements, most of which focused on progress in their respective countries and/or organizations.
Anna Lartey, professor of food science at the University of Ghana and president-elect of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences
 |
| Professor Lartey (left) and Mr. Suarez (right). |
- The country now offers free maternal health services and enhanced social services
- Referred to Kofi Annan saying that society is the new superpower
- Need accountability of commitments
Charles McCormack, CEO of Save the Children U.S.
 |
| Photo: Adriana Zehbrauskas/Polaris. |
- Private sector must work with other sectors (polio vaccination became possible through other sectors)
- Got to work together better with holistic and creative cooperation
- Margaret Meade quote: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Cassim Masi, executive director of National Food and Nutrition Commission
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| Mr. Masi sits third from the right as Mr. Suarez opens. |
- Stats: stunting vs. underweight. wasting
- Zambia has an accelerated nutrition forum
- Zambia's National Food and Nutrition Commission was created in the 1960s
- Zambia's challenges: inadequate government resources to support policy, limited malnutrition-focused organizations, limited involvement of media (or sensitive media)
- Zambia needs: technological assistance to build capacity, lobbying/high level advocacy, increased financial support of its plans, mobilized aid organizations, and to strengthenn multisectoral support
Shanim Hayder Talukder, CEO of Eminence, Bangladesh
- Bangladesh is on track to meet MDG 4 and MDG 5
- The population is 160 million; 75 million women are of reproductive age and 20 million kids are under the age of two.
- 26% of mothers are underweight (1996 stat was 52%)
- Ministry of Health and Family welfare provides family planning
- 58% of women and 68% of kids under five are anemic
- Micronutrients are a challenge
- Need public ownership, public/private partnerships, advocacy network, operational research, media exposure, and supportive policy makers
- Eminence is a non-government organization (NGO)
Paul Weisenfeld, USAID Bureau for Food Security
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| Photo: USAID |
- How do we expand and sustain? Country-led efforts, results focus, and work with civil society.
- SUN started with countries
- USAID reformed nutrition systems recently to put ownership in hands of the public: integrating efforts (micronutrients, infant feeding practices, etc.); no silver bullet, researching maternal and childhood nutrition, indicators and results, more focus on prevention, integrating across sectors (agriculture, social protection), and geographic scale (beyond the pilot program)
- Civil society can offer: field-based perspective, monitoring/impact evaluations, coordination and unity of effort
- Stronger local communities will lead to sustainability through increased capacity
- Having one outcome will force people to work together
