World Bank Investment Framework for Nutrition 2024

In October 2024, the World Bank published its Nutrition Investment Framework 2024, with a view to the forthcoming Nutrition for Growth (N4G) in Paris on March 27 and 28, 2025. At this event, global decision-makers will be invited to make ambitious financial and political commitments to fight malnutrition.

Building on the framework initiated in 2017, this report aims to guide the international community’s action and encourage countries to invest effectively in targeted policies and actions to improve nutrition worldwide.

Despite the efforts made at national and international level, the World Bank draws a mixed picture and calls for action.

Progress in the fight against malnutrition is insufficient: 3 out of 10 women worldwide suffer from anemia, 148 million children face stunting and almost 45% of adults are obese.

Paradoxically, public actions that target nutrition are those with the greatest return on investment.

According to the World Bank report, every dollar invested in the fight against malnutrition generates a return of 23 dollars while the cost of inaction exceeds 41 trillion dollars over 10 years worldwide.

The needs for evidence-based interventions to fight malnutrition

Nutritional interventions refer to targeted actions aimed at improving the nutritional status of populations, particularly those vulnerable to malnutrition or other nutrition-related problems. They can focus on improving access to nutritious foods, educating people about healthy eating practices, or implementing “supplementation” programs (using a nutritional supplement to make up for a deficiency) to correct specific nutritional deficiencies.

In its investment framework, the World Bank advocates investing in a range of evidence-based nutrition interventions divided into four thematic areas:

• Prenatal interventions (e.g. calcium supplementation, preventive treatment of malaria)

• Perinatal and neonatal interventions (e.g. delayed cord clamping at birth)

• Interventions for children under 5 (e.g. vitamin A supplementation, preventive or therapeutic zinc supplementation, ready-to-use therapeutic food)

• Nutritional education and advice for infants and young children (ex : e.g. advice/education on breast-feeding or dietary diversifity).

Supporting nutritional interventions through effective public policies

The report recommends the implementation of public policies, that support the development of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative or introduce targeted taxes on sugary drinks and ultra-processed and/or unhealthy foods to influence dietary behavior and increase tax revenues. Note : 57% of the world’s population lives in a country that has introduced taxes on sweetened beverages.

It is important not only to maximize the effectiveness of current policies, but also to explore new avenues of financing, notably through:

• Integrating nutrition into universal health coverage programs and social safety nets.

• Reallocating food subsidies to promote healthy diets.

• The use of climate funds, sovereign wealth funds and private investments in the environmental, social and governance fields.

The investment framework stresses the importance of a multi-sectoral approach to fight against malnutrition, considering health, agriculture, water, sanitation, education, social protection, climate and gender issues in the definition of public policies.

The report describes the many links between climate change and malnutrition  and highlights some particularly worrying consequences:

• Droughts increase the probability of wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition in children, by 50%.

• Extreme droughts could increase stunting by 23% in sub-Saharan Africa and 62% in South Asia by 2050.

• Reduced access to fresh food drives the consumption of ultra-processed foods, contributing to obesity.

The report also notes that, despite the agri-food sector’s significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, its climate transition remains insufficiently financed, with only 4.3% of climate funds allocated to the sector. Investments targeting both nutrition and climate would therefore be worthwhile, such as the introduction of taxes on unhealthy foods (like ultra-processed products) and polluting foods (foods with a large carbon footprint).

Furthermore, it appears that women, are more exposed to malnutrition, underlining the need for a gender-sensitive approach to nutrition and climate policies.

Financial investments for sustainable global nutrition: the keys to success

The World Bank estimates that between 2025 and 2034, to achieve 90% coverage of targeted nutritional interventions to combat undernutrition (wasting, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies), additional financial investments will need to be mobilized:

• 128 billion dollars (or 13 billion per year) are required for this 10-year period. This is equivalent to around $13 per year per pregnant woman and $17 per child under 5.

• Of this $128 billion, $98 billion is needed for low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Investing in nutrition: a lever for preserving lives and boosting the global economy

By investing in the targeted nutritional interventions advocated in the report, millions of deaths and serious complications could be avoided by 2034:

• 6.2 million deaths avoided in children under 5, as well as 980,000 stillbirths.

• 27 million cases of stunting prevented in children under 5.

• 47 million cases of wasting prevented in children.

• 7 million cases of low birth weight avoided.

• 14 million cases of anemia in mothers prevented.

• 85 million additional children benefiting from exclusive breastfeeding.

Moreover, investment in interventions to fight undernutrition could generate considerable economic benefits:

• 2,400 billion dollars in economic benefits: this is the estimated return on investment in nutrition worldwide over the period 2025-2034.

• On average, every dollar invested in the fight against malnutrition generates a return of 23 dollars for the economy of the country mobilized.

• By investing in nutrition, the economic benefits far outweigh the cost of inaction, estimated at 41,000 billion dollars over 10 years worldwide.

Failing to address malnutrition has a cost :

• 21,000 billion dollars in lost productivity due to undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies

• 20,000 billion dollars in social and economic costs due to obesity and overweight.