Publications and resources

According to the WFP, food insecurity and malnutrition in Senegal stand at 7.2% and 8.2% respectively, with major regional disparities (ENSANR 2019). During the 2020 lean season, about 770,000 people were estimated to be food insecure, a 124% increase compared to 2019. 

Rwanda has made significant gains in the fight against malnutrition through various policies, strategies and intervention programs that aim to accelerate progress. 

The School Feeding Program in Guatemala has achieved outstanding results. In 2020, it provided food services to around 2.5 million kindergarten and primary school children enrolled in public institutions, which is the target population.

Nearly 78 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean receive a daily breakfast, snack or lunch at their schools, with an estimated annual investment of 4.3 billion US dollars, primarily funded from government budgets.

The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting in children under five years of age reached 32%, 17% and 5%, respectively, in 20181. Children living in rural areas of Benin are more at risk of malnutrition.

Despite achievements in economy, food security, health and nutrition over the past decades, the nutrition situation remains a serious concern in Bangladesh. 

This paper outlines the importance of scaling up school health and nutrition programs post-COVID-19, highlighting how they contribute to education, health, social protection, and local economies. The document stresses multisectoral coordination and the need for innovative financing solutions, calling for global advocacy to restore and expand school health services.

The Global Education Forum (GEF) was established in 2019 to address challenges in the education financing architecture and develop greater collaboration between and coordination of education donors, and to advocate for investment and the acceleration of progress towards SDG4.

Public policies aim to enhance welfare and reduce inequality across sectors like social protection, labor, health, and education. Schools, serving hundreds of millions globally, are a key platform for integrated interventions. For instance, school meals improve nutrition, attendance, and support local farmers. We propose a value-for-money framework to evaluate school system investments, assessing their broader impacts and identifying cost-effective ways to boost human capital, crucial for rebuilding after COVID-19.