In 2024, we launched the Cost of Inaction Tool in partnership with Limestone Analytics and with funding from the Government of Canada. This user-friendly, evidence-based tool equips policy makers, advocates and donors with quick, country-specific estimates of the health, human capital and economic costs of not addressing stunting, low birthweight and anaemia among women and children across more than 140 countries. Since its release, the tool has become a key resource in global and national policy discussions, supporting engagements with the Government of Canada, the AU, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement regional workshops, the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Paris 2025 Summit, the World Bank Asia, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as numerous national governments, advocacy coalitions and media outlets.
We also provided targeted technical assistance to help countries transition from iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) to MMS for pregnant women. In Pakistan, we developed a transition costing model to guide the scale-up of MMS, while in Nigeria we conducted a cost analysis to inform the shift in Bauchi State. Findings from both analyses will support nationwide implementation and offer a blueprint for similar transitions globally.
To strengthen sustainable nutrition financing, we supported the Government of Nigeria in developing a legislative framework for food and nutrition security, helping institutionalize financing within governance structures and securing long-term policy, program and budgetary commitments with greater transparency and accountability.
At the regional level, our collaboration with the African Development Bank produced three nutrition-themed Economic and Sector Work reports for Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania, all of which have a high stunting burden. These reports will help position nutrition as a strategic priority in Country Strategy Papers — government planning documents that guide development partner investments — shaping funding decisions and promoting nutrition-smart financing during future planning and mid-term reviews.
