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Nutrition
Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant,
child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of
non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity.

Healthy children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create
opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.

Malnutrition, in every form, presents significant threats to human health. Today the world faces a
double burden of malnutrition that includes both undernutrition and overweight, especially in low-
and middle-income countries.

WHO is providing scientific advice and decision-making tools that can help countries take action
to address all forms of malnutrition to support health and wellbeing for all, at all ages.

This fact file explores the risks posed by all forms of malnutrition, starting from the earliest
stages of development, and the responses that the health system can give directly and through
its influence on other sectors, particularly the food system.

Learn about Nutrition and Food Safety and COVID-19

  

Fact sheets +

Q&A +

Data +

Guidelines +

WHO resolutions +

WHO Team +

144 million 47 million children

children under 5 yrs of age
under 5 yrs of age are too thin for their height
are too short for their age (wasted)
(stunted)
Find out more

Find out more

News All →

 

12 February 2021 | Joint News Release 28 January 2021 | Departmental news

Acute malnutrition threatens half of Issuing of an evidence review to the
children under five in Yemen in Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative
2021: UN (NFSI)

Our work All →

 ©

Decade of Action on Nutrition

REPLACE trans fat-free by 2023

Promoting baby-friendly hospitals

Promoting safe food handling

Events All →

Ad hoc Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food

Allergens - Part 2: Re...
 15 March – 2 April 2021

Third meeting of the WHO Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group (NUGAG)
Subgroup on Poli...
 8 – 12 March 2021

Webinar: Digital technologies for anaemia prevention programmes

 4 March 2021 15:00 – 16:00 CET
 First Technical Advisory Group Meeting on the Update of WHO Global Strategy
for Food Safet...
 8 – 10 February 2021

UN Food Systems Summit - Action Track 2 Public Forum

 3 February 2021 10:00 – 11:30 CET

Call for

12 February 2021 | Call for consultation

Online Public Consultation: Priority-setting for WHO science-informed normative

work on ob...

28 January 2021 | Call for experts

Call for Experts: WHO Guideline Development Group on treatment of children and
adolescents...

17 December 2020 | Call for authors

Call for authors - Systematic reviews on feeding of infants and young children 6–
23 months...

17 December 2020 | Call for experts

Call for experts for updating FAO/WHO iron, vitamin A, folate and magnesium
requirements f...
 16 November 2020 | Call for authors

Call for authors: scoping reviews for updating iron, vitamin A, folate and
magnesium requi...

Publications All →

2 February 2021

Trans-fatty acid assessment: report of the WHO

expert consultation, Geneva, Switzerland, 11–12
O b Read More
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22 January 2021

Nutrition action in schools: a review of evidence

related to the nutrition-friendly schools initiative
Download Read More

11 January 2021

Action framework for developing and implementing

public food procurement and service policies for a
h l h Read More
Download

23 December 2020

Global protocol for measuring fatty acid profiles of

foods, with emphasis on monitoring trans-fatty
id
Download Read More

29 July 2020

Nutritional interventions update: vitamin D

 Download
l t d i
Read More

29 July 2020

Nutritional interventions update: multiple

micronutrient supplements during pregnancy
Download Read More

29 May 2020

Mobilizing ambitious and impactful commitments for

mainstreaming nutrition in health systems:
i i Read More
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29 April 2020

International trade agreements and implementation

of the international code of marketing of breast-
ilk
Download Read More

Documents
Meeting All →
of the WHO
Strategic
and 19 January 2021

Technical Meeting of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory

Advisory
Group of Group of Experts (STAGE) on MNCAHN, 2-4 Nov
Experts 2020
(STAGE) on Download Read More
MNCAHN,
2-4 Nov
2020 8 September 2020

Trans fat elimination - the experience of Brazil

Download Read More

8 September 2020

Overview and highlights of the second progress

report
Download Read More

31 July 2020

Use of nutrition data in decision making: a review

paper
Download Read More

13 July 2020

The state of food security and nutrition in the world

2020
Download Read More

1 May 2020

Report of the Inaugural meeting of the Strategic and

Technical Advisory Group of Experts (STAGE)
MNCAHN
Download Read More

24 April 2020

Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts

(STAGE) on MNCAHN handbook
Download Read More

24 April 2020

Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts

(STAGE) on MNCAHN operating procedures
Download Read More
Feature stories

19 June 2020

Through a structured and coordinated response, Colombia seeks to leave no one

behind in th...

26 December 2019

5 tips for a healthy diet this New Year

17 October 2019

World Food Day 2019

Facts in pictures

1 April 2020

Obesity

22 February 2018

Nutrition

20 February 2018

Breastfeeding
Multimedia All →

27 January 2021

WHO urges governments to promote healthy food in public

facilities

Infographic

Unsafe food affects us all

Infographic

Nutrition ferritin - iron from your food

Infographic

Nutrition ferritin - where iron needs increase

Infographic

Nutrition ferritin - women pregnancy

Infographic

Nutrition ferritin - less productivity at work and school

Infographic

Nutrition ferritin - under 2 yrs of age

24 February 2020

Move for health #1

Related health topics

Micronutrients

Child growth
Anaemia

Infant nutrition

Healthy diet
Health promotion

Food safety

Breastfeeding
e-Library

e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA)

Contact

Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS)

nutrition@who.int

Sign up for WHO NFS mailing list - please send us an email to: nutrition@who.int