Malnutrition takes the lives of 300 children every hour. It also robs people of their earning potential and stands in the way of a country's economic development. Malnutrition in the 1,000 days between pregnancy and a child's second birthday carries lifelong consequences, affecting a child's growth and development, ability to learn, and lifelong health and productivity. Cost-effective solutions exist, and an investment in reducing malnutrition has a high rate of return. When we improve nutrition for poor mothers and children during the 1,000-day window, we give children and their communities the opportunity for a better future. What if you could do something this #GivingTuesday to help eliminate malnutrition? Bread for the World urges you to get the facts and give a child a better start in life.
*All photographs copyright Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World
This blog is part of our #GivingTuesday series, produced by The Huffington Post and the teams at InterAction, 92nd Street Y,United Nations Foundation, and others. Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday - which takes place for the first time on Tuesday, November 27 - is a movement intended to open the holiday season on a philanthropic note. Go to www.givingtuesday.org to learn more and get involved.