Nutrition must be a national priority
Nutrition is a basic need for any child. Whether they get the food they need can determine their future from birth. Around the world, poor nutrition is responsible for nearly half of child deaths, or close to 3 million a year.
As a registered dietitian and an expectant mother, I am horrified that the United States is not investing more in helping to meet basic nutrition needs of children and mothers, especially in places like sub-Saharan Africa. Extreme poverty has been cut by 65 percent around the world over the past 25 years but there is still more to do.
Nutrition yields $16 for every $1 the government commits because the children who receive that help grow up to become productive, working members of society. People cannot pull themselves out of extreme poverty if they are dying from a lack of basic nutrition.
I was pleased to see that in the most recent White House proposed budget increases or stabilizes funding levels in most major aid programs, however, nutrition funding was cut by millions dollars.
In our community, we are fortunate to have many resources available when needed. For many kids in the developing world, that help never comes. We know what investments we need to make to end extreme poverty by 2030 — nutrition, vaccinations and to deal with structural issues that keep people in poverty.
We cannot finish the job in ending extreme poverty by 2030 if we make these cuts now. I call upon Rep. Reid Ribble to protect these important programs as Congress crafts its budget for 2017 in order to finish what we started and make certain that we can be that great generation that ends extreme poverty.