World Bank’s Support to Reducing Child Undernutrition - Report to the Board from the Committee on Development Effectiveness

Jul 19, 2026

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An independent evaluation report to the World Bank Board from the Committee on Development Effectiveness reviews the Bank’s support to reducing child undernutrition and the accompanying management response. The committee highlights the evaluation’s timeliness amid COVID-19 setbacks to SDG progress and urges more concrete implementation actions, measurable evidence, and strengthened monitoring and learning. It also calls for scaled nutrition-specific investments, improved coordination across global practices, and a holistic food-systems and nutrition-sensitive approach. Coverage addresses malnutrition broadly, including obesity, and requests clearer plans for nutrition-specific results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

Evaluation and management response context

Timeliness amid COVID-19 and SDG impacts

Bank’s nutrition strategy and evolution

Mainstreaming and selectivity of support

Recommendations for implementation and measurement

Actions, evidence, and monitoring improvements

Nutrition scope beyond undernutrition

Malnutrition, obesity, and food systems

Coordination, partnerships, and knowledge sharing

Social norms, behavior change, and cross-GP work

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized World Bank’s Support to Reducing Child Undernutrition An Independent Evaluation Report to the Board from the Committee on Development Effectiveness ∗ Meeting of September 27, 2021 The Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) (“the Committee”) met to consider the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation entitled World Bank’s Support to Reducing Child Undernutrition (CODE2021-0052) and the Draft World Bank Management Response (CODE2021-0056) . The Committee noted the timeliness of the evaluation at a time when the COVID pandemic has undermined global progress towards SDG2.2 and deepened many nutrition challenges. Members welcomed Management’s broad agreement with IEG’s recommendations and its acknowledgement that despite the progress made, there is room for improvement. They asked Management to be more concrete on the actions it will take to implement them, as well as the evidence it will be collecting and tracking to monitor progress. Members were pleased to learn that the Bank’s approach to nutrition is sound and has evolved in a positive direction from a narrow focus on food security to a portfolio of multidimensional and multisectoral support; nutrition is being mainstreamed to non-Health Nutrition Population (HNP) sectors; and, that the Bank is selective in its engagement and has targeted its nutrition operations, particularly to countries that have significant child undernutrition issues. Members welcomed the Bank’s enhanced focus on the nutritional status of children as part of the Bank's COVID-19 response and commitment to elevate Human Capital as an IDA20 Special Theme. They encouraged Management to increase investments in nutrition-specific interventions; to further strengthen monitoring and evaluation frameworks, enhance learning and knowledge sharing across the WB; translate lessons into operational guidance for global practices and country teams; and strengthen coordination across GPs and with other partners. Many highlighted the broader aspect of malnutrition, including obesity, stressing the importance of tackling this challenge which also affects some low-income countries, and compromises human capital and increases susceptibility to non-communicable diseases. They appreciated Management’s explanation that it conducted a major analytic piece on obesity through a trust fund support from the Government of Japan which they plan to use to inform its work going forward. Nonetheless, alluding to the Food System Summit, the Committee underscored the importance for the Bank to adopt a holistic approach and play a convening role in supporting the implementation of voluntary guidelines on food systems and nutrition, and in scaling up national food systems that prioritize access for all to healthy diets, ensure food security and promote a nutrition sensitive agenda. They called on the Bank to demonstrate its comparative advantage as a knowledge and solutions bank that strives to help client countries meet their SDGs and preventing and mitigating against adverse economic impacts and health consequences for its citizens. Management explained that President Malpass had made a commitment on behalf ofthe WBG at the United Nations Food Security Summit to focus on the food security and the nutrition-sensitive agenda, noting that nutrition-specific issues will be the focus of the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit to be hosted by the Government of Japan on December 7-8, 2021 in Tokyo. Members acknowledged that while nutrition-sensitive projects have generally achieved results, achieving results for nutrition-specific interventions has been more challenging and asked Management to clarify its plan for enhancing nutrition-specific interventions. They also asked IEG and Management to comment on WB’s value added on social norms and behavior change interventions, particularly as the WB seeks to ramp up efforts to empower women and strengthen cross-

FAQs

Why was the evaluation considered timely by the Committee?

The Committee noted that COVID-19 undermined global progress toward SDG 2.2 and deepened nutrition challenges, making the evaluation especially relevant at that moment.

What does the Committee ask Management to do to implement recommendations?

Members requested Management to be more concrete about the actions it will take, including what evidence it will collect and track to monitor progress, learning, and results.

How did the Committee view the Bank’s nutrition approach and needed improvements?

They viewed the approach as sound and evolving from a narrow food-security focus toward multi-dimensional, multisectoral support. They still urged stronger nutrition-specific investments, improved monitoring and evaluation, better knowledge sharing, and more effective coordination across global practices and partners.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Skyler