Recognizing Importance of Sustained United States Leadership to Accelerating Global Progress Against Maternal and Child Malnutrition

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, as a physician and obstetrician, I represent one of the largest agriculture-producing districts in the country. I am proud to help lead H. Res. 189, a critical resolution addressing the health and development of children around the world and a role the United States must continue to play to improve maternal and child nutrition.

Every year, malnutrition accounts for half of all deaths among children under the age of 5. Nearly a quarter of the world's children are stunted, both physically and mentally, due to malnutrition. This leads to long-term poor health and impaired brain development.

Mr. Speaker, food is medicine. The 1,000 days stretching from conception, from the start of a mother's pregnancy, until the child turns 2, is critical to increasing child survival, strengthening the immune system to bolster disease resistance, and improving the child's ability to grow, learn, and live to their fullest potential.

Investments that focus on the first year of a child's life are among the best and most cost-effective investments that can be made to help achieve lasting progress in global health, economic prosperity, and development.

The USDA and the USAID oversee America's longstanding commitment to reducing hunger and improving global food security. Our international feeding programs originated in my home State of Kansas, in Cheyenne County, when a group of farmers presented the idea of distributing food, rather than just funding, to countries to help their populations thrive.

Programs like the USAID's Food for Peace and USDA's McGovern-Dole Food for Education provide basic humanitarian aid to families, women, and children worldwide and help our farmers and ranchers reach more markets for the high-quality commodities they produce. The U.S. exports about $140 billion worth of agricultural products each year, thanks to the hard work of farmers and their partnership with USDA and USAID.

Not only are U.S. investments in nutrition efficient and effective, but U.S. nutrition programs also leverage other investments in foreign assistance, increasing the impact on improving health globally, which can lead to countries lessening their dependence on foreign aid and thriving economically.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak threatens achievements made by many USDA and USAID programs due to restrictions to supply chains that are stressing food markets and placing people suffering from hunger on the brink of starvation.

The cost of malnutrition to the global economy is estimated to be $3.5 trillion in healthcare costs and lost productivity every year, and COVID-19 is only making it more challenging to address.

Fortunately, help is on the way. This week, we hope the FDA will approve and review the emergency use authorization for vaccine candidates. Meanwhile, we have all got work to do.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the committee and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my good friend, and our 154 cosponsors for bringing our resolution to the House floor.

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