USAID’s maternal and child nutrition programs are advancing the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act by scaling up programs and activities to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. 

Good nutrition is essential to the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and entire nations. Nutrition is core to the development objectives USAID works to achieve every day. Almost half of deaths for children under five years of age are attributed to malnutrition, and those children who survive malnutrition have compromised cognitive and physical development.

USAID and its partners work with countries to equip  people with the skills, tools, and resources to improve their families’ health, diets, and nutrition, especially early in life when it matters most. 

USAID has 60 years of global leadership in nutrition, and through strong partnerships the Agency accelerates impact by bringing investments in health and food systems and humanitarian response together, in addition to helping partner governments drive effective multi-sectoral coordination. 

USAID’s nutrition investments support evidence-based, high-impact interventions that address the immediate and root causes of malnutrition to save lives. Key approaches: 

• Supporting lactating mothers and their families with skilled breastfeeding counseling to ensure optimal breastfeeding practices; 

• Improving dietary diversity and appropriate complementary feeding starting at 6 months of age;

• Prevention and treatment of child wasting within routine health services;

• Micronutrient supplementation for children and pregnant women  to prevent life-threatening illnesses caused by common dietary deficiencies; 

• Capacity building for health providers to provide high quality nutrition services including counseling; and 

• Domestic resource mobilization for nutrition and specialized training to build in-country nutrition expertise

• Ensure access to quality nutrition services in humanitarian response

• Facilitate an enabling environment that supports sustainable food and health systems

Learn more about how we are boosting nutrition in food systems, health systems, and humanitarian assistance.

Success Stories