,h4 ,,res4 #ahi ,in the ,house of ,representatives1 ,u4 ,s41 ,december #g1 #bjbj ,,resolution ,whereas #aea million children under the age of #e in the world--#bb percent--are stunted1 or chronically undernourished1 and in countries highly affected by undernutrition1 stunting affects #a in every #c children2 ,whereas wasting1 or acute malnutrition1 continues to threaten the lives of an estimated #g4e percent or nearly #ea million children under the age of #e globally1 and more than #ch million children under the age of #e are overweight2 ,whereas malnutrition directly or indirectly causes #de percent of all deaths--#b4f million--of children under age #e annually and puts those who survive at risk of impaired brain development1 lower ,,iq1 weakened immune systems1 and greater risk of serious diseases2 ,whereas undernourished adolescent girls have impaired cognitive ability and productivity and their future babies are at increased risk for low birth weight and death2 ,whereas iron deficiency anemia1 associated with undernutrition1 contributes to #a in #e maternal deaths 7or #bj percent of maternal mortality72 ,whereas poor maternal nutrition contributes to poor fetal development and low birth weight1 and an estimated #fj to #hj percent of neonatal deaths occur in low birth weight babies2 ,whereas a large body of scientific evidence supports the benefits of improved breastfeeding practices on the short-term and long-term health and development of children and their mothers2 ,whereas a growing evidence base demonstrates that reducing maternal and child malnutrition1 especially in the critical #a1jjj days between pregnancy and age #b1 is imperative to ending preventable maternal and child deaths1 improving cognitive and physical development1 and strengthening children's immune systems to bolster resistance to disease2 ,whereas leading economists and ,nobel ,laureates have identified improving child nutrition as the most cost-effective way to enhance global health and development2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development's ,multi-,sectoral ,nutrition ,strategy's approach addresses both direct and underlying causes of malnutrition1 and its focus on linking humanitarian assistance with development programming helps build resilience to shocks in vulnerable communities2 ,whereas malnutrition is a universal issue that no country in the world can afford to overlook1 and countries with high burdens of malnutrition1 including stunting1 wasting1 anemia1 and micronutrient deficiency1 will struggle to achieve sustainable and equitable economic growth2 ,whereas the ,united ,states plays a lead role supporting the goals of ,scaling ,up ,nutrition1 a global movement of #fj countries to prioritize nutrition1 particularly during the #a1jjj-;day window of opportunity between a mother's pregnancy and her child's second birthday1 through effective policy and dedicated national resources2 and ,whereas the world has reduced undernutrition since #aiij1 yet global progress has been too slow to ensure each child can attain a full and prosperous future regardless of where he or she was born and at the current pace1 the global community will not reach its global nutrition targets set for #bjbe3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 reaffirms that-- 7,a7 food security and good nutrition in early childhood saves lives and lays the foundation for healthy physical and cognitive growth and development2 7,b7 the potential benefit of good nutrition is life-long and influences a child's entire future1 with entire communities and nations ultimately prospering2 7,c7 the right nutrition helps children learn1 helps protect them from illness1 increases their productivity and earning potential1 and supports the well-being and health of their future offspring2 and 7,d7 women who are well-nourished and do not suffer from anemia are less likely to die in childbirth and to give birth to children who are malnourished1 breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition2 7#b7 reaffirms that-- 7,a7 good nutrition is also an economic issue central to reducing poverty and putting countries on path to economic development2 7,b7 adults who were well-nourished as children earn up to #df percent more than those who were malnourished2 7,c7 countries with a very high burden of early childhood malnutrition have lower economic growth rates due to lost income and productivity2 and 7,d7 the cost to nations is substantial with ,gross ,domestic ,product 7,,gdp7 losses estimated between #c to #af percent with overall potential impacts to the global economy as high as #c4e trillion per year2 7#c7 supports ,united ,states leadership in helping developing countries meet the nutritional needs of women and children1 and supports continued efforts2 7#d7 supports ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development's 7,,usaid7 recognition that nutrition interventions are among the lifesaving interventions that can have the greatest impact in ending preventable child and maternal deaths2 7#e7 supports the use of the ,,usaid ,multi-,sectoral ,nutrition ,strategy1 the ,united ,states ,government ,global ,nutrition ,coordination ,plan1 and the ,global ,food ,security ,strategy as platforms through which to help reach global nutrition targets by #bjbe1 as agreed to at the ,world ,health ,assembly in #bjab2 7#f7 acknowledges the vision and goals of the ,scaling ,up ,nutrition movement as a global partnership to support country-led efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition involving governments1 civil society1 the ,united ,nations1 donors1 businesses1 and researchers2 7#g7 acknowledges that progress against global malnutrition must be accelerated using innovative1 scaled-up approaches to improve the systems that affect the nutritional status of women and children2 and 7#h7 calls for transformative efforts across sectors at ,,usaid-- 7,a7 to accelerate progress to end maternal and child malnutrition1 including through ,country ,development ,cooperation ,strategies that align with country's national nutrition plans2 and 7,b7 to include improved and clear methods to track nutrition funding and outcomes across all ,united ,states ,government global nutrition programs1 especially those in global health1 food security1 agriculture1 basic education1 food assistance1 and water1 sanitation1 and hygiene 7,,wash74 ,clerk4