Malnutrition, in any form, presents significant threats to human health. Undernutrition contributes to about one third of all child deaths. Growing rates of overweight and obesity worldwide are associated with a rise in chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The World Health Assembly has adopted a Comprehensive Implementation Plan to achieve six global nutrition targets through direct nutrition interventions and multisectoral actions in the food system, education and social protection: reducing low birth weight; stunting, wasting and overweight in children; and anaemia in women by 2025.
The WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development is
- developing guidance on population dietary goals and evidence informed policies and programmes;
- disseminating and advocating for the adoption of evidence-informed policies and programmes and support country adaptation;
- monitoring global trends in nutrition and supporting surveillance in countries.
The department is organized into three areas of work
- Growth assessment and surveillance (GRS)
- Evidence and programme guidance (EPG)
- Nutrition policy and scientific advice (NPU)