Between 2024 and 2050, more than 40 million additional children are expected to be stunted, and 28 million will suffer from wasting globally, particularly in low-income countries, due to the increasing impact of malnutrition driven by climate change.
This summer, UNICEF released its first report on child food poverty, revealing alarming findings. Two-thirds of the world’s children—over 400 million—are not receiving enough nutrients to grow and thrive, putting them at a heightened risk of malnutrition.
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 148 million children experienced stunting, while 45 million faced wasting, the most severe forms of chronic and acute malnutrition. These conditions hinder their growth potential and, in the worst cases, prevent them from growing up at all.
Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, expressed concern that the world is facing more challenges than ever, noting that inflation, debt, and new conflicts have become commonplace. He emphasized that aid is not keeping pace with these pressing needs, especially in the regions that require it most.
He stated, “Clearly, addressing climate change is essential. However, the data indicates that the health crisis and the climate crisis are intertwined in the poorest countries near the equator. The best way to combat the effects of climate change is through investment in nutrition.
“For example, over half of all child deaths still occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2010, the percentage of the world’s poor living in this region has risen by more than 20 percentage points. Yet, during the same time, the share of total foreign aid to Africa has decreased from nearly 40% to just 25%—the lowest level in two decades. Fewer resources mean more children will succumb to preventable causes.
“The global health boom has ended, but for how long? That’s the question I’ve been pondering for the past five years: Will we reflect on this period as the conclusion of a golden era, or merely a brief pause before another global health boom begins?”
He continued, “Occasionally, someone asks me what I would do if I had a magic wand. For years, my answer has been the same: I would eliminate malnutrition.
“When a child dies, malnutrition is the underlying cause half the time. Now, a significant challenge is making it harder to address: climate change. We collaborated with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to understand the extent of this challenge.
Gates expressed hope for a solution if global health is given another chance.
“To achieve this, we need a two-pronged strategy. First, the world must recommit to the efforts that drove progress in the early 2000s, particularly investments in essential vaccines and medicines. They continue to save millions of lives each year, and we cannot afford to regress.
“But we also need to look ahead. The research and development pipeline is filled with powerful—and surprisingly cost-effective—new breakthroughs. We just need to implement them to tackle the world’s most pervasive health crises, starting with proper nutrition.”
