Our bodies do so much for us: they enable us to learn and dream, to walk and run, to lift and carry; to thrive. But what happens when our bodies fail us? When we don’t feel our best, our capacity to achieve is diminished.
That’s why on this World Health Day, we seek to spread the word that in order for vulnerable populations to break the cycle of poverty, there must be #HealthforAll.
Around the globe, one in three people are adversely affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Good nutrition is key to living life to one’s fullest potential — when children have access to adequate food, they have the fuel they need to succeed in school. Adults have the time and capacity to attend skills training programs, and to earn incomes.
Rise Against Hunger meals are designed to support these immediate needs. Each meal includes micronutrient powders containing 18 essential vitamins and minerals for healthy growth and development. In 2017 alone, we shipped 72.1 million meals to 36 countries worldwide.
Access to nutritious food becomes especially critical in the wake of crisis: Acute malnutrition remains a huge public health crisis for several areas of South Sudan. To address this, we support a severe acute malnutrition therapeutic feeding program implemented by Crosscurrents International. The program combats wasting in patients suffering from Kala Azar, a neglected tropical disease, through the distribution of Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food, in an inpatient setting.
Alongside meals, Rise Against Hunger distributes donated medical supplies around the globe. From donations of insulin to diabetic patients at a medical mission in Sierra Leone, to shipments of medications, lab equipment, orthodontist and dentist equipment and other supplies including those for nursing mothers, in the Dominican Republic, to providing access to a nebulizer for those facing severe asthma in Belize, these medical supplies are life-changing.
To find out how you can support Rise Against Hunger’s ongoing efforts to create healthy, productive, sustainable futures for the populations we serve, please visit our Get Involved page.