Despite a decade of global efforts, the world is far from reaching essential nutrition 2030 milestones set by the World Health Assembly, with critical gaps threatening the health of millions. According to a new Global Burden of Disease analysis, most countries are struggling to meet the six global nutrition targets set in 2012 to combat low birthweight, inadequate breastfeeding, child malnutrition, and anemia in reproductive-age women.
By 2021, limited success was seen with only a few countries meeting some of the targets: five countries achieved breastfeeding goals, four for stunting, 96 for child wasting, and three for child overweight. Notably, no country met the targets for low birthweight or anemia among females of reproductive age. Sub-Saharan Africa has shown promising advances in stunting and wasting, exceeding expected reductions due to enhanced healthcare policies and resources, yet a growing prevalence of child overweight worldwide highlights the complex challenges in global nutrition.
Even with signs of progress, the overall picture remains challenging, especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that bear a disproportionate burden of diseases linked to the global nutrition target indicators. With nearly 90 countries forecasted to miss all targets by 2030, the study calls for immediate and coordinated action to safeguard maternal and child health, emphasizing that a surge in preventive strategies and long-term policies is essential to secure meaningful gains for future generations.
