Facing the Inevitable: Impact of Climate Change on Nutrition Security

Abstract

The Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) established a precedent for the global leaders to tackle the world’s pressing issues such as poverty, hunger and malnutrition [1]. Despite the significant progress on the MDGs, today there are 795 million undernourished people of whom 90 million are children under age five [1]. Children are most vulnerable and high mortality rates are seen in situations where prevalence of acute malnutrition among children is 10-15% and severe malnutrition is between 2-3% [2]. Malnutrition is a serious public health concern that is exacerbated during a famine when food supplies are depleted causing acute food shortage. A ‘Nutrition Emergency’ occurs when there is a risk of or an actual increase in mortality due to acute malnutrition.