Background
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, 2016 – 2025 (Nutrition Decade) which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as follow-up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) held in 2014 are bringing a renewed momentum for Nutrition with a clear expectation for a leadership role reaffirmed for FAO and WHO in providing evidence-informed guidance on nutrition and healthy diets.
In 2014, ICN2 called for action to address all forms of malnutrition – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, overweight/obesity – as well as diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), goals that were then taken up by the SDGs in 2015. Participating governments endorsed the ICN2 Rome Declaration on Nutrition which called on Member States to implement the ICN2 commitments through a set of voluntary policy options and strategies identified in the Framework for Action.
Key to achieving these global nutrition goals and commitments is ensuring an adequate, healthy diet in infants and young children so that they can develop into healthy, productive adults. Proper infant and young child feeding is critical for improving child survival and promoting healthy growth and development, with the first two years of a child’s life being particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of noncommunicable disease, and fosters overall development. A key component of optimal nutrition during childhood and beyond is the adequate (but not excessive) intake of important micro- and macronutrients.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) established vitamin and mineral requirements for all age groups in 2004. Since this time, new data have emerged suggesting that requirements for some micronutrients may need to be updated, particularly for children. Therefore, and in part to inform the planned updating of WHO guidance on complementary feeding, the FAO Nutrition and Food Systems Division (ESN) and the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) have established an expert group on nutrient requirements which will update nutrient requirements for children aged 0 – 4 years, following the WHO guideline development process and in line with Article 6 of the FAO Constitution.
In the planning phase of this work, WHO conducted an initial review of the recent scientific literature on nutrient requirements, and compiled national dietary guidelines from all regions, extracting all relevant information about nutrient requirements in the age group of interest. Using the data obtained from this preparatory work, FAO and WHO were able to prioritize the nutrients to be updated. Requirements will be updated 3-4 at a time, in a staggered schedule, beginning with calcium, vitamin D and zinc.