Paris, France, 27 March 2025 – Malnutrition remains one of the most significant barriers to human development, affecting millions of people, especially in regions grappling with poverty, conflict, and the severe impacts of climate change – areas where the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is actively engaged. This week, AKDN is participating in the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, joining world leaders, policymakers, and civil society organizations to accelerate efforts and mobilize financing to tackle malnutrition, a key driver of human and economic progress.
Hosted by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the N4G Steering Group and the Paris Peace Forum – of which AKDN is a founding partner – the summit is being held on 27-28 March, continuing the tradition of being organized by the host country of the most recent Olympic and Paralympic Games.
President Emmanuel Macron hosted the summit, where stakeholders committed $27 billion in funding to address malnutrition. His Highness the Aga Khan attended a high-level event on 27 March, hosted by President Macron, reaffirming AKDN’s dedication to advancing nutrition and food security. Watch President Macron’s speech here.
The summit focuses on three key areas essential to improving global nutrition: health and social protection, the transition to sustainable food systems, and the role of nutrition in building resilience during crises. It also emphasizes action on gender equality, data and innovation, and finance and accountability.
As part of its longstanding commitment to combatting malnutrition through integrated, multisectoral approaches, AKDN has pledged $45 million to support nutrition and food systems.
Earlier in the week, high-level side events explored strategies to embed nutrition into broader development efforts, close the $13 billion annual funding gap, and establish measurable national targets. AKDN representatives actively contributed to key discussions, including:
March 24: A session on “Immunisation-Nutrition-Integration: Strengthening Health Systems for Sustainable Impact,” featuring Dr. Aminah Jahangir (Regional Advisor, Health and Nutrition, Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan), alongside partners from GAVI, Power of Nutrition, and Results UK. Dr. Jahangir shared the success of AKDN’s integrated approach in northern Pakistan, where efforts have helped increase full immunization coverage among children to 96 percent – significantly surpassing the national average of 74 percent – while also reducing stunting rates to 18 percent (compared to the national average of 44 percent). Building on this model, AKDN has expanded its efforts into underserved districts where immunization rates were as low as 18 percent, and acute malnutrition rates exceeded 25 percent.
March 27: A side event hosted by the OECD and Stronger Foundations for Nutrition, where Matt Reed (CEO, Aga Khan Foundation UK) moderated a panel discussing philanthropic actions for nutrition.
AKDN’s participation at N4G 2025 highlights its commitment to enhancing nutrition outcomes and addressing food insecurity as part of its broader efforts in climate resilience and sustainable development.
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