Bill Gates is urging world leaders to intensify efforts to combat a growing child nutrition crisis that is causing significant economic losses, amounting to trillions of dollars.
He believes that investment in gut bacteria and enhancing livestock productivity, such as more efficient cows, could offer solutions.
The billionaire philanthropist, who considers malnutrition a top priority, said there’s need for increased funding to address health challenges, particularly as climate change exacerbates the situation.
The pandemic and debt burdens in poorer countries have strained health and education budgets, said one of the world’s richest, while wealthier nations have cut back on aid, especially to Africa, where hunger is widespread.
A UNICEF report published June this year says around 64 million children in Africa under 5 years of age – or 1 in 3 – are experiencing severe child food poverty, making them up to 50 per cent more likely to experience wasting, a life-threatening form of malnutrition.
To curb this, the Gates Foundation has pledged $922 million toward nutrition programs through 2026 and is encouraging donors and governments to contribute to the Child Nutrition Fund.
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The foundation is also backing initiatives to breed heat-resistant cows that produce more milk. In Nigeria, where Gates recently visited, animal protein like milk and eggs remains scarce and expensive. Efforts are underway to reduce these costs in Africa, where a significant portion of the population lacks essential nutrients like iron and calcium.
The report also pointed out that the world is not on track to meet any of its seven global nutrition targets by 2030.
The World Bank on the other hand, says malnutrition results in a global productivity loss of approximately $3 trillion each year. Gates warned that without action, many African countries risk remaining trapped in poverty as children grow up with reduced cognitive and physical capabilities due to poor nutrition.
Gates believes that enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines and reduce the severity of diseases like malaria.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is working on scalable, cost-effective solutions, such as expanding access to prenatal vitamins and improving milk production and safety in Africa. The foundation is also investing in microbiome research to explore the role of gut bacteria in nutrient absorption.
Gates stressed that malnutrition should be considered a critical economic issue, as undernutrition can reduce GDP by up to 16% in low-income nations.
By mid-century, climate change could lead to an additional 40 million stunted children and 28 million children suffering from wasting, where they are severely underweight for their height.
Despite causing nearly half of all deaths among young children, malnutrition remains one of the most underfunded global development challenges, with less than 1% of public aid allocated to nutrition.
Gates expressed optimism about microbiome research, with advances in understanding how gut bacteria affect nutrient absorption could significantly impact the fight against malnutrition and even obesity in wealthier countries.
