A unique public-private partnership to eradicate child malnutrition

ProjectLaser Beam

Project Laser Beam is a WFP-led initiative partnering withthe private sector to eradicate child malnutrition

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Right This Guatemalan girl holds a bag of Vitacereal,

developed by WFP and local experts to fight the 49 percent

national chronic undernutrition rate in children under five. A

fortified blend of maize, soy, and micronutrients, VitaCereal is

designed to increase birthweight, facilitate normal growth and

development, and help provide a foundation for a healthy life.

For almost one billion people today — one out of every

seven on the planet — hunger is a battle that is being lost,

and children are on the frontline. Malnutrition afflicts

millions of children worldwide, permanently robbing

them of a bright future. This preventable situation is

getting worse.

Ensuring that children worldwide have a healthy start in

life is not only a worthy goal, it is in our global interest.

The right food at the right time means well-

nourished children who will have a better opportunity

to fully develop and reach their potential. Health care

costs will decrease and national economies will

prosper — creating more consumers in the future. A group

of leading international economists and Nobel laureates

agrees — the Copenhagen Consensus determined that of

the top ten most cost-effective solutions for national

development, five involve tackling malnutrition.

The call to action is clear: Investing in nutrition is

an investment in the next generation. Healthy,

nourished children thrive and get the future they deserve

with a chance to make a difference. The world has the

knowledge and technology to answer that call, using

products and services available today, or innovating new

ones for tomorrow.

Building the Next Generation

Project Laser Beam (PLB) is a public-private partnership

that seeks to eradicate child malnutrition, with an initial

focus on Bangladesh and Indonesia. These are countries

where there are unacceptably high rates of child

malnutrition, but also a demonstrated commitment by

the government to tackle the problem. PLB partners will

be able to assist as these are also countries where they

have a presence and the ability to leverage existing

resources and knowledge.

PLB is a unique partnership as it breaks new ground in

three main ways: by embracing a multi-stakeholder

model to ensure activities are the most appropriate for

the local situation; by encompassing a holistic approach

to nutrition by including food, health and hygiene; by

creating a new model for public-private partnerships

that is scalable, replicable and sustainable for use in

other countries around the world.

This five-year, US$50+ million initiative combats

child malnutrition through projects focused on food,

hygiene, behavioural change and tools we may not be

able to envision now. It brings together the expertise of

UN agencies with that of Fortune 500 companies,

public-private partnerships and others in the private

sector. In September 2009, President Bill Clinton

unveiled the project alongside founding PLB partners

WFP, Unilever, Kraft Foods, DSM and the Global

Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) at the Clinton

Global Initiative Annual Meeting.

PLB will employ the many nutritional solutions already

available in the marketplace, ensuring they are accessible

to those in need. When gaps in products and services are

found, PLB will call on an ever-growing number of

partners to step into the breach and develop new ones to

fight child malnutrition in other countries.

The Investment Case

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US President Bill Clinton,

WFP Executive Director

Josette Sheeran and

senior representatives of

PLB founding partners in

September 2009.

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Eight-month-old Shama fromPakistan, with a packet of WawaMum, a locally-produced chick peaproduct tailored to the nutritionalneeds of small children

South Asia 5.90 billion

Sub-Saharan Africa 2.78 billion

East Asia and Pacific 1.07 billion

Latin America and the Caribbean 0.15 billion

Middle East and North Africa 0.56 billion

Europe and Central Asia 0.13 billion

Misc technical assistance 1.70 billion

Eradicating child malnutrition = US$11.8 billionAnnual financing to scale up interventions in

highest burden countries, by region

(source: World Bank, 2009)

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This child in Kustia, Bangladesh, is beingmeasured to assess his nutritional state.Community health workers use thesecoloured plastic strips to measure mid-upper arm circumference, an indicator of nutritional status.

Almost 200 million children under five are

suffering from chronic malnutrition right this minute,

according to UNICEF. This leads to increased illness,

poor school performance and a weakened physical state,

with consequent lost opportunities to grow and flourish

into adulthood.

It is even more serious for children two and under.

When a child of this age chronically lacks the right

nutrition, mental and physical damage is irreversible.

This lack of nutrition makes her more susceptible to

illness throughout her life and a less productive member

of society. The World Bank reports that individuals lose

more than 10 percent of lifetime earnings, and

many countries lose at least 2-3 percent of their

GDP, due to child malnutrition. A WFP study put the

figure as high as 6 percent in Latin America.

The Problem

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“We have never been better poised to tackle the core challengesfacing humanity than we are today. The commitment andpassion to take what companies have learned and connect itwith those who would be denied is very powerful. I amconvinced we can relegate hunger, stunting and malnutrition to the annals of history.”

Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

5 Keys to TacklingChild Malnutrition

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1Increasehousehold foodsecurity

2 Increasemicronutrientintake

3Improve hygieneand parasitecontrol

4Increase treatmentof severe acutemalnutrition

5Improvebreastfeeding andcomplementaryfeeding

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A new and enhanced partnership is required to tackle foodand nutrition insecurity in Indonesia. Economic growth hasbeen impressive but uneven throughout the country. TheGDP of Indonesia in 2010 was more than US$1 trillion –the 16th highest in the world – and the government hasprioritised fighting malnutrition across the country. But thepoorer segments of the population still suffer from lack ofaccess to adequate hygiene, sanitation, food and healthcare, and child malnutrition is at emergency levels in someparts of the country. In addition, Indonesia’s position alongthe ‘Ring of Fire’ makes it one of the most natural disasterprone areas in the world.

Some initial findings:

• Fifth highest child chronic malnutrition rate in world

• Stunting rate for under fives nationally is 36.8 percent,but is as high as 63 percent in the areas where PLB will work

• Anaemia affects 48 percent of children under five,reducing their resilience and ability to thrive

• The poorest households spend 70 percent of theirincome just on food

• An average household is exposed to more than 130 natural disasters a year, increasing health risks and damage to crops

Indonesia: A case in point

The prevalence of malnutrition in Bangladesh is the sixthhighest of any country in the world. Nationally, 43 percentof children under five suffer from chronic undernutrition,leaving them underweight, vulnerable to disease andbelow their mental potential. Malnutrition is not onlydestructive to the lives of children today, but its effects arepassed from one generation to the next — malnourishedmothers give birth to infants who struggle to develop andthrive, becoming malnourished mothers themselves.

Some initial findings:

• High prevalence of moderate acute malnutrition in underfives due to a lack of access to suitable foods

• Severe acute malnutrition is also high (3 percent of underfives), which national programmes do not cover

• Critical rates of iron, zinc and iodine deficiencies inyoung children, resulting in anaemia and other illnesses

• Arsenic contamination of groundwater and otherchallenges meaning safe water is not accessible to all, akey element of health and nutrition

• Less than 43 percent of children under six months arebreastfed exclusively, strongly impacting child survival rates

Bangladesh: A case in point

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An aemia depleting strength and resources

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread

nutritional disorder in the world. Two billion people – over

30 percent of the world’s population – are anaemic, many

due to iron deficiency. This leads to ill health, premature

death and lost earnings, reducing the work capacity of

individuals and entire populations. The result is serious

economic consequences and obstacles to national

development. It is the most vulnerable, poorest and least

educated who are disproportionately affected by iron

deficiency, and it is they who stand to gain the most by

its reduction. (source: World Health Organisation)

Bangladesh statistics

80% of children under 2 are anaemic

46% of pregnant women are anaemic

Just 29% of pregnant women receive iron supplementation

(source: UNICEF Bangladesh, 2009)

Shamimal adds micronutrient powders(MNPs) to her rice, following a demonstrationby a health worker. MNPs were distributed incyclone Sidr-affected areas in southernBangladesh. MNPs provide a daily dose ofessential vitamins and minerals, especiallycrucial in post-emergency situations.

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The good news is that there are solutions — some

available today, some yet to be discovered. The battle

against child undernutrition is urgent and

winnable. The PLB model takes a holistic approach to

ensure that food, health and hygiene issues are all

addressed to comprehensively tackle this scourge. In

both Indonesia and Bangladesh, companies are stepping

up to this challenge and supporting a range of programmes.

Increase household food security

• Equipping local food cart merchants to sell hygienic

and nutritious food while generating income

• Training women farmers in Indonesia how to grow

better food for their families and sell excess for profit

Increase micronutrient intake

• Supplying meals to Bangladeshi schoolchildren at risk

of malnutrition

• Educating children and mothers about the vital

importance of a varied and nutrient-rich diet

Improve hygiene and parasite control

• Giving Bangladeshi communities access to clean,

safe water

• Providing safe stoves/fuel-efficient stoves to women to

dramatically reduce respiratory infections for them and

their children

Increase treatment of severe acute malnutrition

• Developing a ready-to-use food that would treat

children at risk of dying in Bangladesh

• Providing technical assistance to develop a product to

treat severe cases of malnutrition in Indonesia

Improve breastfeeding and complementary

feeding

• Developing a locally-made supplement to help children

under two in Bangladesh get needed nutrition

• Instructing Indonesian mothers in the healthy diet

practices for children in the especially vulnerable age

group of under two years

The Solution

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Left Healthy bread. Fortification of wheat flour with folic acid

and iron in this Egyptian factory will help combat birth defects

and widespread anaemia — the latter currently afflicts 60

percent of the population in some parts of the country.

Joining Forces

The time is now. In the wake of the global economic

crisis and increasing climate-related emergencies, more

children are slipping deeper into the malnutrition and

hunger trap every day — many for the first time.

The issue is right. Malnutrition is responsible for a

third of all deaths of children under five. For those who

do escape this fate, hundreds of millions still suffer

damage to their futures and their country’s future from

the lasting effects of chronic malnutrition.

The partners are ready. The UN has the convening

power, experience and access into difficult territories,

which will also prove to be the most challenging new

markets. Private sector partners and public-private

partnerships have tools unavailable to UN agencies,

as well as flexibility and resources to innovate.

How you benefit. PLB is not only a significant way to

contribute to the eradication of this scourge, but it also

gives partners a chance to participate in a holistic, multi-

stakeholder process that will ensure their involvement is

targeted and effective. It leverages the comparative value

of public and private sector actors for the long-term

benefit of malnourished children by creating new

methods and markets.

Project Laser Beam can get ahead of the hunger and

malnutrition curve by marshalling innovation,

compassion and commitment for children, our future.

A world of children await our investment.

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For more information

To read more about this importantissue, please visit the following sitesor contact us directly.

Project Laser Beamwfp.org/laserbeam

World Food Programmewfp.org/nutrition

Video

Project Laser Beam also has a video thataccompanies this brochure available at:wfp.org/laserbeam

Relevant documentation

UNICEF, Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition: A survival and

development priority (November 2009):www.unicef.org/publications/index_51656.html

World Bank, Scaling Up Nutrition: What will it cost? (December 2009):siteresources.worldbank.org/HEALTHNUTRITIONANDPOPULATION/Resources/Peer-Reviewed-Publications/ScalingUpNutrition.pdf

UK leading medical journal The Lancet, landmark series on ‘Maternal and Child

Undernutrition’ (January 2008): www.thelancet.com/series/maternal-and-child-undernutrition

Copenhagen Consensus, Results (May 2008):www.copenhagenconsensus.com/Admin/Public/DWSDownload.aspx?File=%2fFiles%2fFiler%2fCC08%2fPresse++result%2fCC08_results_FINAL.pdf

WFP/ECLAC, Economic and Social Impact of Child Undernutrition in Central America

and the Dominican Republic (2008): [English summary of report]documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/liaison_offices/wfp175334.pdf

Photo credits Cover (clockwise from top left): WFP/Shehzad Noorani, WFP/James Giambrone, WFP/Rein Skullerud, WFP/Barry Came, WFP/Shehzad Noorani,WFP/Shehzad Noorani; Page 1: WFP/Maxime Bessieres, WFP/Martin Penner; Page 2: Courtesy of the Clinton Global Initiative; Page 3: WFP/Amjad Jamal; Page 4:WFP/Shehzad Noorani; Page 5: WFP/Lyle Stafford; Page 6-7: WFP/Lyle Stafford; Page 8: WFP/Sharon Riggle; Page10: WFP/Shehzad Noorani, WFP/Rein Skullerud,WFP/Hisham Bahgat; Back cover (clockwise from top right): WFP/Barry Came, WFP/Hisham Bahgat, WFP/Dian Estey, WFP/Dianne L. Kittle. DesignWFP/Helen Clarke

Investing in children is investing in the future.

Together we can give them a better chance.

Project Laser BeamSecretariat, c/o World Food Programme – CPP

Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68/70, 00148 Rome – Italy

Tel: +39 06 6513 2995 Email: LaserBeam@wfp.org

wfp.org/laserbeam June 2

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Get involved to end child malnutrition.