Ever wondered why starving kids have big bellies? The answer is somewhat simple and the solution even more so. Starving kids’ bellies appear bloated due to a lack of protein in their diets. The premiere episode of The Borgen Project Podcast explores this phenomenon in more detail as well as efforts to fight child malnutrition globally.

At The Borgen Project, we fight for the world’s poor and write about preventable issues. Global hunger is one of them. Today, 828 million people are going to bed hungry and over 34 million people in 14 countries are facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger.

Listen to the inaugural podcast episode from The Borgen Project below.

 

 

Solutions to Addressing Starvation in Children

In 2022, the global hunger crisis forced one child into severe malnutrition every 60 seconds in 15 most-affected countries around the globe. More than 14 million children worldwide were projected to be severely malnourish by the end of the year. Historically, in order to bring a child back from the brink of starvation, the child would need to receive medical care from a doctor. However, RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food) offers a more accessible way for malnourished children to get the essential nutrients they need to recuperate. Plumpy’nut is an example of one such tool. It is a ready-to-use food paste that is packed with vitamins. Mothers are able to administer Plumpy’nut directly to their children at home. turning barely surviving children into functioning toddlers. This goes to show that global hunger is a solvable problem.

Moreover, by providing these solutions, children everywhere will have the opportunity to contribute to their communities and become productive members of society in their adulthood.

Helpful Links

• UNICEF article about Plumpy’Nut
• Email Congress to downsize global poverty
• Apply to a Borgen Project internship program
• Donate to end global poverty

Photo: Flickr