New Modelling Shows 40 Million More Children Will Suffer from Hunger’s Worst Effects by 2050 Due to Climate Change
A new report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has warned that climate change will condemn an additional 40 million children to stunting and 28 million more to wasting between 2024 and 2050 if immediate global action is not taken. The report, "A Race to Nourish a Warming World," highlights the devastating impact of climate change on global health and nutrition, particularly in Africa.
According to the report, malnutrition is the world’s worst child health crisis, and climate change is exacerbating the problem. The World Health Organization estimates that 148 million children experienced stunting and 45 million children experienced wasting in 2023. These conditions can lead to developmental delays, increased risk of disease, and even death.
The report urges world leaders to increase global health spending, particularly in Africa, where the total share of foreign aid has decreased from 40% in 2010 to 25% in recent years. The foundation is calling for immediate action to address the growing threat of child malnutrition, including supporting the Child Nutrition Fund, a new platform that coordinates donor financing for nutrition.
The report highlights proven tools that are helping to solve malnutrition, including new agricultural technologies that produce up to two to three times more milk and safer milk, and efforts to fortify pantry staples such as salt and bouillon cubes. These tools have the potential to prevent millions of cases of child stunting and anaemia, and save thousands of lives.
The report also features essays from farmers and experts on the frontlines of the malnutrition crisis, who share the impacts of these tools in their communities. For example, Sushama Das, a dairy farmer in India, writes about the Livestock Enhancement and Advancement Programme, which has helped her family earn more money and improve their nutrition.
The report concludes that immediate action is needed to address the child malnutrition crisis and build resilience to climate change. According to Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "If we do these three things, we won’t just usher in a new global health boom and save millions of lives–we’ll also prove that humanity can still rise to meet our greatest challenges."
The report’s findings and recommendations are a stark reminder of the urgent need for global action to address the child malnutrition crisis and mitigate the impacts of climate change.