“By scaling up 10 existing interventions to reach 90 percent of people in the 34 countries with the highest malnutrition rates — primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia — 900,000 deaths of children under five could be prevented each year,” according to a study on nutrition and investment published as part of a series in The Lancet last week, SciDev.Net reports. The plan would require an annual investment of $9.6 billion, according to the study, the news service notes (Chan, 6/10). According to IRIN, the study “recommends: universal salt iodization; the promotion of early and exclusive breastfeeding; micronutrient supplementation for all pregnant women; calcium supplements for pregnant women who need them; food supplements for pregnant women who need them; vitamin A supplements for children between six months and five years old; zinc supplements for children between one and five years old; education about appropriate complementary feeding, backed by supplements where needed; proper management moderate acute malnutrition; and proper management of severe acute malnutrition.”

“The lead author of the paper on interventions, Zulfiqar Bhutta of Pakistan’s Aga Khan University said, ‘We believe that these 10 nutrition-specific interventions have the potential to save lives. The cost is affordable for a world which spends close to a hundred times more than this on conflict,'” IRIN writes (6/10). “The researchers believe that more than half of the funds could be provided by India and Indonesia, with other smaller countries making financial contributions and the remaining $3-4 billion coming from external donors,” SciDev.Net reports, noting the recent Nutrition for Growth summit “secured commitments of up to $4.15 billion to tackle malnutrition.” The news service adds, “At the launch event for the series of papers, Lawrence Haddad, a study author based at the Institute of Development Studies, United Kingdom, said: ‘Let’s not wait for political will: let’s will our politicians to act” (6/10).