The Global nutrition policy review is based on a questionnaire survey conducted during 2009–2010, in which 119 WHO Member States and 4 territories participated. The Review analysed the information on whether the countries have nutrition policies and programmes and if so, what topics the policies cover, how they are being implemented, what the implementation coverage is, who the stakeholders are, what coordination mechanism exists, and how the monitoring and evaluation are being implemented. The results are presented in this report according to the regions of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The analyses presented in this report are also complemented by the results of the in-depth country assessments conducted as part of the project on Landscape Analysis on Countries’ Readiness to Accelerate Action in Nutrition which was initiated by WHO in 2008 in close collaboration with partner agencies. Selected case studies illustrate the reasons for successes and the gaps in the implementation of policies and programmes in some countries.

Much progress has been made since the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition in the design and implementation of national nutrition policies and plans of action. Most countries that responded to the Review had policies and programmes that are addressing key nutrition issues, such as undernutrition, infant and young child feeding, vitamin and mineral malnutrition, and obesity and diet-related NCDs. The Review nevertheless identified a number of gaps in the design, content and implementation of these policies and programmes.