EndingchildhungeristhegoalofameetinghereinWashingtonMonday.Governmentofficials,nutritionandhealthexpertsandmembersofcivilsocietyfromaroundtheworldarepromotingthe1,000DaysPartnership.Thegoalistosavethelivesofmillionsofchildren."The1,000DaysPartnershipisreallyacalltoactiontoaddressthisissue.ItwaslaunchedinSeptember2010bySecretaryClintontoreallyfocusinternationalattentiononthe1,000days,whichisreallythewindowofopportunityfromthetimeawomangetspregnanttothetimeachildisagetwo,"saidU.S.UnderSecretaryofStateMariaOtero.Thescienceandknow-howexist,shesaid,toendchildhunger.Oteroaddedwhenchildrengohungrytheeffectsarewidespreadandlong-lasting."Thefiguresarereallyquitestriking.Globally,weknowthatabout200millionsufferfromchronicundernutrition.Andeveryyearweseethatundernutritioncancostuptothreeandahalfmillionchilddeaths.Thisrealityisunacceptable,"shesaid.What'smore,shesaidthatwhenchildrenareundernourishedbeforeagetwo,theyaremorelikelytohavelong-termhealthproblems.They'realsomorelikelytodopoorlyinschoolandhavelowereconomicprospectsasadults.AmongthosesupportingthepartnershipisWorldFoodPrizelaureateandBreadfortheWorldPresidentRev.DavidBeckmann.Hesaid,"It'saboutnewhopeforreducingchildmalnutritionintheworld.Worldhungerhasincreasedoverthelastseveralyears,mainlybecauseofhighpricesforgrains.Governmentbudgetsaretight.ButIthinkprovidentially,theworldalsohasnewknowledgeaboutthebestways,themostimpactfulwaystoreducechildmalnutrition.Andsomeoftheworld'sleadersareinfactleadingaonethousanddaycampaigntogetthesenewideasputintopracticeinthecountrieswheremalnutritionisconcentrated."PaulWeisenfeldofUSAID,theU.S.developmentagency,saidworldleaderspledgedattheL'Aquilasummittoensurefoodsecurity.In2009,attheG8summit,theinternationalcommunitymadeareallyimportantcommitmenttoincreasethefocusonfoodsecurity.Itwasintendedtoreverseadecades-longdeclineinassistanceforagriculturaldevelopment.Andtheideabehindthiswasalsoatthesametimetoaccelerateglobalmomentumlinkingnutritionandagricultureinawaythatwe'veneverdonebefore,"hesaid.U.S.officialscallthe1,000DaysPartnershipthedefininglinkbetweentheFeedtheFutureandGlobalHealthpresidentialInitiatives.
