While many countries are growing richer, with high rates of annual growth and decreasing levels of poverty, under nutrition levels remain stubbornly high. It is estimated that out of all deaths of children less than five years of age, 3.1 million, or 45%, are caused by undernutrition, and another 165 million children worldwide are stunted (too short for their age). Stunting can lead to impaired intellectual development, reduced school attendance and ultimately lower economic productivity. Investing in nutrition now can save national economies millions that may otherwise be spent on health care later in life, and can add millions through greater productivity.
The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement was launched in 2010 to reinvigorate efforts to address undernutrition globally. It brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to strengthen political commitments and improve accountability by providing a platform for collective action in which governments, civil society organisations (CSOs), businesses, donors and the United Nations can work together in a coordinated and targeted way to reduce rates of undernutrition.
To date, over 50 countries have signed up to the SUN movement. These countries have or are developing national plans for nutrition that provide a framework for all stakeholders working on nutrition to coordinate efforts around common results. As countries have developed their plans, they and other members of the global SUN movement, have been considering what makes a good plan that is useful for both national governments and other stakeholders? This brief summarises key elements that have been identified as contributing towards good national nutrition plans based on a review of 20 country plans and processes. A more detailed synthesis report drawing on activities in all 20 counties is available.1
