74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
A Side-event co-hosted by Ecuador, Uruguay, and the European Union
Background
Nearly one in three people around the world have at least one form of malnutrition and based on current trends this the number is set to rise to one in every two by 2025. Unhealthy diet and malnutrition is the leading risk factor for the Global Burden of Disease and death, claiming 11 million lives in 2017, yet these losses are almost entirely preventable. Addressing the challenge of malnutrition in all its forms requires multisectoral actions, including in health, agriculture, trade, social protection and education. But a major global impact can be achieved if good quality nutrition services are provided to the entire world population as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 
UHC is founded on three objectives: equity, quality, and financial risk protection. In terms of equity, UHC cannot be realized without guaranteeing that everyone, including those who cannot pay, has access to the services that they need when they need them. UHC is the principle underlying primary health care. The 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata set out PHC as the way to achieve health for all and centred “the promotion of food supply and proper nutrition” as one of the minimum requirements of PHC. The 2018 Declaration of Astana has renewed political commitment to PHC and UHC from governments, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, academia and global health and development organizations.
As we are in the middle of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025), this is a historic opportunity to accelerate action on nutrition and transform health systems towards the integration of nutrition actions, delivering on the promise of people-centred health systems for UHC. By investing in improved nutrition, Member States and their partners can ensure that all people, societies and nations can reach their full potential, and contribute to the attainment of commitments of the Second International Conference on Nutrition and the Sustainable Development Goals, and can ensure that all people, societies and nations can reach their full potential and have their right to health and adequate nutrition fulfilled.
The aim of this event is to draw attention to the fact that good health is not possible without good nutrition. Without investing in nutrition, the objectives of UHC cannot be met.
Expected outcomes
Participants are expected to come away with a deeper understanding of and engagement about three issues:
- Investing in nutrition will accelerate, consolidate and support investments made in UHC for healthier populations.
- Not investing in nutrition will compromise the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, including targets 3.4, 3.8, 2.2 among many others.
- Not investing in nutrition will compromise the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, including targets 3.4, 3.8, 2.2 among many others.
Organizing partners
The side event is co-hosted by Uruguay, Ecuador, and the European Union. The event is co-organized by the World Health Organization, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, and UNICEF. The event is open to Member States missions in New York, and representatives from the UN system, business, civil society, financial institutions, regional bodies, parliamentarians and donors.
Logistics
The event is in English language only and will be live-streamed on UN Web TV.