Gathered one year on from the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit and ahead of the Government’s Global Partnership Conference in May, the International Coalition for Advocacy on Nutrition (ICAN) UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nutrition for Development hosted a reception in Parliament.
With malnutrition linked to half of all deaths among children under five, guests—including parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and representatives of civil society organisations—reflected on the considerable challenges and progress made, as well as the opportunities ahead. Nutrition is foundational to the growth of every individual and economy and must remain at the heart of the UK’s international development agenda, they agreed.
The reception’s sponsor and APPG Co-Chair, the Rt Hon David Mundell MP, opened the event. He noted that since the group last met ahead of the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris—where the Government launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration—a great deal had changed.
Reductions to Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets are hitting the world’s most vulnerable people hardest. Estimates suggest that the collapse in global funding will curtail treatment for 2.3 million severely malnourished children and lead to an additional 370,000 child deaths each year.
“With greater need and less money, it is more important than ever to focus on areas where we can make the biggest difference. This means stepping up efforts in the fight against malnutrition. For every $1 invested in nutrition, $23 is gained in returns through better health and productivity,” he said.
One of the most effective investment vehicles is the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), an innovative financing mechanism that boosts ODA with philanthropic, private and in-country capital. The CNF is already working in Nigeria, as explained by Finian Ali, National Youth Coordinator for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Network in Nigeria and UAMH Expert Adviser.
The number of Nigerian states partnering with the CNF continues to grow, saving children’s lives through treatments such as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). The issue is deeply personal for Finian. At the age of nine, following the death of his mother—the family’s breadwinner—he often went hungry, stretching one meal into three each day.
Stressing the collective responsibility to tackle malnutrition, Finian called on leaders to work together: “We must protect the future in which everyone and every country is invested.”
This sense of hope and rallying cry was echoed by Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India, who acknowledged the progress made in reducing child mortality and increasing the number of girls in school. She emphasised the importance of investing in child nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days of life, citing contributions from the Power of Nutrition and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. The demand for investment remains immense: evidence shows that in 2024 at least 100,000 children died from severe malnutrition, and worldwide there were 150 million stunted and 43 million wasted children in 2025.
Cynthia concluded with a message from Hina, a young woman she met in India who now works in a bank. As a malnourished five-year-old orphan, Hina received nutrition support. “When I needed a chance, I got a chance, not charity,” she said.
Steve Race MP, former Co-Chair of the APPG on Nutrition for Development, spoke of witnessing the positive impact of UK ODA first-hand. In Kenya, he saw a local factory producing RUTF, and in Tanzania he observed nutrition being integrated into programmes addressing water, health, sanitation and vaccinations—both visits facilitated by UAMH, the APPG Secretariat. “ODA is making a huge difference to people, especially children,” Steve Race told attendees, urging continued effort.
Appreciation for the work of ICAN UK and parliamentarians supporting child nutrition was reiterated by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chris Elmore MP, who described it as some of the most valuable and life-changing work anyone can do. He emphasised that partnership is central to the Government’s international development approach, as the focus shifts from measuring pounds spent to assessing how UK expertise, diplomacy and investment are used to tackle malnutrition.
Minister Elmore reported that the FCDO is integrating nutrition across its programmes, with 84% now incorporating nutrition policy objectives. This approach enables farmers to grow more nutritious, sustainable crops, while food processing and supply chains are supported to keep food safe and ensure it reaches markets.
Parliamentarians attending the reception included Baroness Brown of Silvertown, Baroness Featherstone, Alan Gemmell MP, Monica Harding MP, Baroness Hodgson, Lord Mohammed of Tinsley, Baroness Northover, Lord Pack, Baroness Pidgeon, Lord Purvis, Sam Rushworth MP,Lord John Russell, Baroness Sugg, and UAMH CEO Jonny Oates. Former Tanzanian Member of Parliament, Neema Lugangira, joined alongside High Commissioners and Ambassadors from Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, Somalia, and Zambia.
Representatives of ICAN UK included Action Against Hunger UK, Action for Global Health, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Concern Worldwide UK, the International Rescue Committee, ONE, Save the Children UK, Unlimit Health, UNICEF UK, and World Vision UK.
They were joined by the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Science–Policy Platform, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Eleanor Crook Foundation, the Gates Foundation, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Reading University, Scaling Up Nutrition, Women Political Leaders, and the World Food Programme.
We thank each of these nutrition champions for attending. As Minister Elmore rightly said: “Every child, everywhere, deserves the best possible start in life.”
Want to find out which nutrients are essential in the first 1,000 days of life? Our booklet, Nutrients Essential to Child Growth and Development, produced in partnership with the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Science–Policy Platform, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Rothamsted Research, was launched at the reception. Download it here.
