The Policy Innovation Lab at Sellenbosch University continues its mission to build a strong network within the Goalkeepers South Africa community, fostering collaboration towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On October 14th, the third session in a series of events was held, focusing on the global 2024 Goalkeepers Report, “The Race to Nourish a Warming World”, which addresses the challenge of malnutrition faced by many countries.
Facilitated by Goalkeeper Anne Chisa, a scientist and founder of “The Root of the Science Podcast,” the session provided an engaging discussion on malnutrition and its impacts. Drawing from her podcast episode with Neil Watkins, Deputy Director of Global Policy & Advocacy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Anne shared key insights from their conversation and highlighted the critical issues raised in the report.
The session opened with the introduction of the newly appointed 2024 Goalkeepers, Dr Lawrence Mabasa and Ms Maboang Matlou. Both attended the recent Goalkeepers Global Event in New York alongside Prof Thulani Makhalanyane, who also joined the Goalkeepers network in 2023. Their work aligns closely with this year’s report theme on malnutrition, and they shared valuable insights from the event during the discussion.
The report’s exploration of malnutrition went beyond hunger, touching on the concept of “hidden hunger” caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Anne highlighted that malnutrition affects over 400 million children globally, leading to stunted growth, cognitive delays, and increased child mortality. The session delved into the financial costs of malnutrition, estimated at $3 trillion annually, and explored the main contributors to the issue, including limited access to nutrient-rich foods, climate change, and weak health policies.
During the annual global Goalkeepers Event, innovative solutions, such as fortified staple foods and prenatal vitamins, and scalable, low-cost interventions aimed at improving nutrition, were shared. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Child Nutrition Fund was spotlighted as a key initiative promoting collaborative funding to tackle malnutrition. Emphasis was placed on the need for resilient food systems, particularly in the face of climate change, to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
Participants contributed their thoughts on how these global challenges intersect with South Africa’s needs. They discussed the importance of adopting innovative nutrition technologies and ensuring that African perspectives are well-represented in global dialogues. Ideas for raising public awareness, including writing opinion pieces for major publications, were also explored as potential next steps.
The session concluded with a shared commitment to continue working together to address malnutrition locally and globally. Participants expressed overwhelmingly positive feedback on the session’s insights and value.