Invest $922m in nutrition interventions as tracked by the OECD DAC CRS within the Basic Nutrition code (12240) and Nutrition Policy Marker

Gates Foundation financial commitment

The Gates Foundation has committed to investing US$922 million over the next five years to advance its systems approach, prioritising efforts across food, health and social protection systems to reach the most vulnerable. This effort will be tracked by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee Creditor Reporting System within the Basic Nutrition code (12240) and Nutrition Policy Marker.

The foundation will continue to invest in proven approaches to improve nutrition for the world’s most vulnerable, including a focus on the 1,000-day window of opportunity (from conception through age 2). Nutrition is prioritised through four key Gates Foundation portfolios:

• Fortification of commonly consumed foods with vitamins and minerals: Food fortification – adding safe levels of essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods such as salt, flour and cooking oil – is one of the most scalable, sustainable and cost-effective ways to reduce malnutrition worldwide, but it has yet to reach its full potential. The foundation will deepen its engagement in large-scale food fortification by investing in solutions to produce actionable data; delivering high-quality technical support to millers and food producers; achieving innovations in the types and levels of vitamins and minerals that can be delivered through staple foods; increasing industry self-monitoring and transparency; and promoting the adoption of more and better standards for large-scale food fortification.

• Nutritious food systems: This portfolio aims to increase equitable consumption of safe, affordable, nutritious diets year round through evidence-driven food systems and agricultural programmes and policies. Priority areas include increasing availability and use of dietary data for programme design and evaluation; improving evidence of how agricultural programmes can positively impact nutrition; providing technical assistance for the design and implementation of evidence-driven and gender-responsive food systems programmes and policies; and improving food safety.

• Maternal, infant and young child nutrition: Poor maternal nutrition is a major driver of maternal mortality and newborn and infant mortality and is an historically underfunded area. This portfolio explores how to provide the right nutritional support to the most vulnerable populations, including pregnant and lactating women, infants and young children who are malnourished. This involves developing evidence on how to deliver high-impact interventions and new innovations through health services, social protection systems and community-based platforms.

• Research and innovation to identify new approaches and interventions: This portfolio focuses on research and product development to identify solutions to optimise maternal health and nutrition and support the physical growth and neurodevelopment of young children. Priority areas include developing new approaches to anaemia prevention and treatment and research to inform next-generation nutritional products during pregnancy and lactation, such as multiple micronutrient supplements and balanced energy and protein supplementation.