Aim: The overarching aim of WHO's work in nutrition, spearheaded by the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD), is to prevent, reduce and eliminate malnutrition worldwide, (especially protein-energy malnutrition; iodine, vitamin A, and iron deficiencies; obesity and diet-related diseases; other specific deficiency diseases), and promote sustainable health and nutritional well-being of all people, thereby reinforcing and accelerating human and national development.
The 4 main objectives in support of this aim are:
Objective 1. To strengthen and support the capabilities and effectiveness of Member States for assessing and addressing nutrition, malnutrition, and diet-related problems, primarily through the development and implementation of national nutrition policies, programmes and plans of action.
Objective 2. To develop through consultation, research and collaboration, the scientific knowledge base, methodologies, authoritative standards, norms and criteria, and guidelines and strategies for detecting, preventing and managing all major forms of malnutrition, whether of deficiency or excess, for application by Member States.
Objective 3. To promote optimal sustainable health and nutrition benefits of food-assisted development projects targeted to the vulnerable food-insecure, particularly by ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of WFP food aid policies and programmes, in both emergency and development contexts.
Objective 4. To maintain global databases for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the world's major forms of malnutrition, the effectiveness of nutrition programmes, and progress towards achieving targets at national, regional and global levels
