Childhood stunting: challenges and opportunities

Promoting healthy growth and preventing childhood stunting

The WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development hosted a Promoting Healthy Growth and Preventing Childhood Stunting colloquium “Childhood stunting: challenges and opportunities” on 14th October 2013.

The World Health Assembly Resolution 65.6 (2012) endorsed the comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition. The plan specifies six global nutrition targets for 2025, among them, a 40% reduction in the number of children
under five who are stunted. Consequently funds for stunting reduction have been committed through high profile global initiatives. Many countries have responded to the global initiatives by making collateral commitments to work towards interim targets
and the final goal for 2025. How can countries operationalize these commitments?

The colloquium provided a forum for the exchange of and reflection on perspectives by participants from government, civil society, academia, and donor and UN agencies on the challenges and opportunities of setting and implementing stunting reduction agendas
at country level. The colloquium report synthesizes insights that should be of interest to persons involved in national stunting reduction as central level coordinators or stakeholders, as sub-national implementers and as community and grassroots
mobilizers.