Climate Change to Intensify Child Malnutrition Crisis by 2050

Bill Gates, Co Founder, Microsoft, warns that climate change will make child malnutrition worse, with an additional 40 million children likely to face stunted growth and an additional 28 million suffering from severe malnutrition by 2050. The Gates Foundation's report links climate-driven food shortages to this crisis, calling for enhanced funding for nutrition amid climate change, reports Reuters. 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's annual Goalkeepers report, which tracks progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, highlights that adverse weather conditions, like droughts and heavy rainfall, hurt crop yields, leading to worsened food security and increased child malnutrition.

“Inadequate nutrition in early years can lead to irreversible physical and cognitive impairments,” Gates asserts. “Children deprived of essential nutrients are also more susceptible to diseases like measles and malaria and face higher risks of early mortality.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 148 million children experienced stunting and 45 million suffered from wasting (severe malnutrition that results in dangerously low weight for their height) in 2023, writes Reuters. In Mexico, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the economy, food systems, and health services, exacerbating poverty and food insecurity and worsening child malnutrition, reports Micronutrient Forum. A recent study by Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health, supported by ST4N,  recorded a 6.4% increase in stunting among children compared to pre pandemic 2018. 

Consequently, Gates has called for increased funding for nutrition programs, emphasizing the need for initiatives like the Child Nutrition Fund, led by UNICEF, which aims to enhance donor financing for nutritional support. He stressed that this additional funding should not detract from other critical health programs, such as childhood vaccinations.

“Nutrition has been under-researched and is crucial for improving child health in the world’s poorest regions,” Gates added. He suggested that strategies like food fortification and better access to prenatal vitamins could have significant health benefits comparable to vaccines.