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Brussels, 3 June 2015
Press
EU launches new partnership
to combat Undernutrition with
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
At the European Development Days 2015
The European Commission today unveiled a major
partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
announced new funding to tackle the global challenge of
undernutrition.
Speaking at the European Development Days (EDDs)
forum, which kicks off today in Brussels, EU Commissioner
for International Cooperation and Development, Neven
Mimica, confirmed the EU’s commitment in supporting
partner countries to reduce the number of children who
are chronically undernourished by at least seven million
by 2025. The EU is advancing towards delivering on this
commitment by today announcing €23.5 million funding
for a new initiative: the National Information Platforms on
Nutrition (NIPN).
This initiative will be a major step forward in providing
partner countries with the tools to better monitor progress
in the reduction of undernutrition, to improve information
and analysis about nutrition, and to enable partner
countries to develop well-informed and effective national
nutrition policies as a result. It will allow stakeholders
to coordinate and align their support with those policies
and improve effectiveness, in order to achieve greater
impact going forward. It will initially be rolled out in six
countries (Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Laos and
Niger).
Brussels, 3 June 2015
Background
“We have made huge progress towards meeting the
Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger by 2015,” said Commissioner Mimica.
“But until every child is properly nourished we cannot reduce
our efforts. That’s why the EU has committed to provide
€3.5 billion in actions towards improving nutrition by 2020.”
The primary goal of the EU’s new partnership with the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation presented today is to
join forces to implement the NIPN in order to improve
accountability and governance on nutrition. They will provide
$500 000 dollars for the initiative. The UK’s Department for
International Development will also support the initiative
with £6.4 million.
Undernutrition is the underlying cause of half of all child
deaths under-5 and stunts the development of millions more
every year. Ending hunger and achieving food security and
improved nutrition are some of the Sustainable Development
Goals expected to be adopted by the United Nations in
September as a follow-up to the Millennium Development
Goals, a subject that will be discussed in length at the
two-day event in Brussels.
Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, also unveiled a new strategy and multi-year
financial commitment to nutrition.
European Development Days is Europe’s leading forum
on development and international cooperation, bringing
together some 5 000 participants from over 140 countries to
find practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing
problems. It is organised by the European Commission and
the 2015 edition, which is the flagship event of the European
Year for Development, runs until June 4 in Brussels.
a For further information, please contact:
Alexandre Polack: alexandre.polack@ec.europa.eu
Sharon Zarb: sharon.zarb@ec.europa.eu
www.eudevdays.eu
Our world, our dignity, our future / 2015 European Year for Development