利用社会保护促进太平洋地区的营养

KEY POINTS Leveraging Social Protectionfor Nutrition in the Pacific •Many Pacific island countriesface significant food andnutrition challenges, resultingin a triple burden ofundernutrition, micronutrientdeficiencies, and overnutrition.Women and children areparticularly affected. INTRODUCTION •These challenges areexacerbated by poverty,vulnerability to the impactsof changes in the climateand global economic shocks,demographic and socialchanges, gender inequality,and geographic isolation. Pacific island countries (PICs) are diverse and heterogeneous, with variation in foodand nutrition outcomes across countries.Although data remain fragmented, availableevidence shows that about 12% of Pacific populations live below the internationalpoverty line, with roughly 25% of the people in the region affected by moderate tosevere food insecurity given a lack of money or access to other resources (Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO] 2021). This is the result of anumber of factors, including multi-layered national food systems, limited agriculturalproductivity, reliance on imports, and vulnerability to the impacts of the changes inthe climate. In particular, the region’s dependence on global food markets has led toan increased availability of cheap, energy-dense foods that are low in nutritional value.This dependence not only undermines dietary quality but also reinforces the cycle ofmalnutrition and poor health. Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation furthercompounds these challenges. As a result, while progress varies across countries, partsof the region remain off track to meet global targets on poverty and malnutrition,underscoring the urgent need for heightened investment and innovation to promotesustainable food and nutrition security. •Social protection plays animportant role in improvingfood security and health andnutrition outcomes; however,cash alone is insufficient.An integrated approachcombining social protectionwith complementary servicesis required. •In many countries in thePacific, social protectionsystems remain relativelynascent. There is scope tosupport nutrition outcomeswithin policies, programs, anddelivery systems that reflectdiverse Pacific contexts. Integration of nutrition into social protection policies and programs remainsunderutilized in the region, yet these interventions offer a particularly promisingopportunity to advance food and nutrition security.This is largely because oftheir demonstrable role in addressing economic poverty, social inequalities, andmalnutrition-related vulnerability, especially among nutritionally vulnerable groups suchas young children, adolescents, and pregnant women (Morgan et al. 2025). This policybrief outlines how social protection can contribute to long-term food and nutritionsecurity in the region. It highlights country-specific data and regional trends in nutrition •Addressing the tripleburden requires multisectorstrategies, including strongerpolicy coordination, systemstrengthening, adequatebenefit levels at scale, andlinkages with health, nutritioneducation, gender equality,and climate-responsiveinterventions. Notes: In this publication, “$” refers to United States dollars.This brief was prepared by independent consultants and social protection experts Rebecca Holmes,Alexandra Barrantes, and Nard Huijbregts, under the overall guidance of Babken Babajanian, seniorsocial development specialist (social protection), Human and Social Development Sector Office, SectorsDepartment 3 (SD3-HSD), Asian Development Bank (ADB). This brief is a deliverable of the regionaltechnical assistance forDeveloping Inclusive and Resilient Social Protection Systems in Asia and the Pacific.Cindy Bryson, principal social development specialist, and Emiko Masaki, principal health specialist, bothfrom SD3-HSD, served as peer reviewers and provided important inputs to the report. Colleagues fromADB’s Pacific Department also provided feedback that helped strengthen parts of this brief. ISBN 978-92-9277-896-5 (print)ISBN 978-92-9277-897-2 (PDF)ISSN 2071-7202 (print)ISSN 2218-2675 (PDF)Publication Stock No. BRF260337-2DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/BRF260337-2 ADB BRIEFS NO. 400 Box 1: From Nutrition-Specific and Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions to Direct and Indirect Actions Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions aredistinct but complementary approaches to tackling malnutrition.Nutrition-specific interventions directly address the immediatecauses of poor diets and care—for example, through the provisionof quality health and nutrition services or fortification of staplefoods. Nutrition-sensitive interventions, when well designed andimplemented, aim to address underlying factors that contributeto malnutrition—such as poverty, food and nutrition insecurity,and lack of access to health care—through measures like socialprotection programs, early childhood development services, orwomen’s empowerment initiatives. young child feed