Starvation and malnutrition are problems that are reaching epidemic proportions in many countries. Millions of children aren’t receiving the proper nutritional foods they need in order to grow into healthy adults. That’s why the WCO campaigns to help as many children as we can.
We offer aid and assistance to deprived or poor villages, and work hard to send them food and essential vitamins. In addition to this, we campaign to get fresh water supplies installed in remote villages, in order to fight waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea.
Malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide. Unfortunately, children who are malnourished have lower resistance to infections, and are more likely to die from common childhood problems (such as respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases). For those children who do survive these illnesses, their nutritional status is compromised, which means they are more susceptible to other diseases. It also means their growth will be adversely affected, and many children end up stunted or severely underweight.
At the WCO, we are passionate about helping these children, as they all deserve to live in a safe and healthy environment. We campaign to reduce under-nourishment in all circumstances, as even children who have mild or moderate nutritional problems are at risk. In fact, almost three quarters of the children who die from causes related to malnutrition were only mildly or moderately undernourished.
Because of its almost invisible physical nature, malnutrition is often a forgotten problem. At the WCO we are determined to make people realise just how serious and deadly this affliction can be.
We educate families about the special nutritional needs of young children, and how they should care and look after infants and toddlers. We also ensure that food of the right quality and nutritional value is supplied to as many households as possible
