Programming towards Improved Nutrition: Welthungerhilfe's Approach to the Prevention of Malnutrition - In All Its...

Social injustice and poor policy frameworks contribute to hunger and all forms of malnutrition in a variety of ways. With its work in 38 partner countries, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) aims to make a significant contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of eradicating hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. In order to achieve this, WHH has strengthened its strategic approach: "Programming towards Improved Nutrition (PtIN)" is WHH's initiative to improve nutrition among children, women, and men of vulnerable households. PtIN is an integrated, intersectoral system approach which considers the multiple causes of malnutrition and identifies the enabling factors that contribute to reaching food and nutrition security. PtIN consists of four pillars: First, the rights-based approach, which puts the most vulnerable population groups as rights holders into the center of all efforts. Second, a multisectoral approach and thinking in systems supports the better alignment of relevant sectors to work in a more nutrition-sensitive way. A special emphasis is set on the link between humanitarian and development interventions to fight malnutrition and strengthen resilience in a comprehensive approach. Third, a multi-stakeholder approach refers to the fact that only joint measures by all relevant actors concerned can bring about a lasting end to all forms of malnutrition, including overweight and obesity. Fourth, by recognizing malnutrition as a complex problem that needs a complex answer and to understand the bigger picture, context-specific nutrition programming approaches help to capture holistically the magnitude, severity, and the causes of food and nutrition insecurity within a specific community or region of a country. PtIN calls on governments to ensure the appropriate legal framework and supports the empowerment of citizens and civil society organizations in partner countries to participate in the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies and programs. PtIN also especially addresses small and medium private sector actors as important stakeholders in shaping healthy food systems.