New figures from the United Nations show malnutrition has permanently stunted the physical and intellectual health of more than a quarter of children under the age of five across the globe. Unveiling the findings, Werner Schultink, the chief of nutrition at the United Nations Children’s Fund, said addressing child malnutrition is critical to tackling global poverty.

Werner Schultink: “If we want to achieve a world where there is better equity, where there is less poverty, and that we’re able to reduce poverty levels in a sustained manner, we need to put people on the right track in life. And the most fundamental thing to do that is by ensuring that there is good nutrition in the period of pregnancy and two years of age. If you want to tackle poverty, you need to tackle stunting.”