The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the global food system, pointing to the need for consolidated attention and action.

"Governments at regional and national level need to make up their minds in dealing with various forms of malnutrition and work holistically," said Gerda Verburg, United Nations (UN) assistant secretary-general and Scaling Up Nutrition Movement coordinator. 

"The most important thing is to break down barriers between different departments and institutions so that all stakeholders, including the policymakers, investors, donors, academia, the private sector, etc., can bring health issues to the table, find solutions and combine their efforts," she told CGTN.

To address inequality and bridge the nutrient gap, Verburg called for expanding the social safety net as well as more unity between developed and developing countries. "Only in that way can we make sure that every child would not be left behind."

Under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, nearly one in 10 people in the world (800 million) faced hunger and malnutrition – an increase of over 100 million, while 3 billion people did not have access to healthy diets, according to the 2021 World Food Security and Nutritional Status Report published by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in July.  

In the context of the pandemic, the global risk of malnutrition for children and young adults aged 5-19 years continues to rise. About 22 percent of the world's children under the age of 5 were stunted, 6.7 percent suffered from wasting and 5.7 percent were overweight, according to the UN report. 

"Children are apparently a vulnerable group," Zhao Wenhua, chief scientist for nutrition, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told CGTN. "Measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, like mobility restrictions, had a great impact on the lifestyle and dietary pattern of children." 

How to prevent aggravating various forms of malnutrition in children should be an urgent issue for all parties to consider. 

In addition, the global inequality, worsened by the pandemic, continues to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Against the backdrop of an uneven global recovery, the issue of nutrition in children in low- and middle-income countries is especially worrying. 

The China Development Research Foundation held the 7th International Conference on Poverty Reduction and Child Development in late July to raise awareness about the issue and called for coordinated action.  

Donald Bundy, director of the Global Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, stressed the role of schools in promoting child nutrition.

"Despite different kinds of efforts [being made] around the world in response to malnutrition induced by the pandemic, nothing can actually replace schools in effectiveness and coverage in supporting children," said Bundy.

He pointed out that the school education system and the school-based service system should be urgently re-established, improved and scaled up. 

Nutrition serves as the base for children's health and development, as well as the cornerstone of social and national development. 

"Investing in the health and nutritional status of children can bring best returns and help build human capital. Breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty and food insecurity is the most scientific and economical option to eliminate poverty," Qu Sixi, representative of WFP China, said at the meeting. 

WFP is also actively cooperating with China, bringing China's experience to other developing countries. 

With China's efforts in reducing poverty and malnutrition, like China's Nutrition School Project established in 2011, notable progress has occurred over the past few years, including increase in children's height, plunge in growth retardation, control in micro-nutrient deficiencies and higher diet quality.