One Young World 2021 Reckitt Lead2030 Challenge for SDG 2 for Young Leaders

Globally in 2020, 22% or 149.2 million children under 5 years of age suffered from child stunting, defined by a low height-for-age. Child stunting can happen in the first 1000 days after conception and is related to many factors, including socioeconomic status, dietary intake, infections, maternal nutritional status, infectious diseases, micronutrient deficiencies and the environment. In 2020, 79 million stunted children lived in Asia, 61.4 million in Africa and 5.8 million in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Stunted children with deficiencies of iodine and iron may suffer irreversible brain damage, impeding them from reaching their complete developmental potential. They have a shorter adult height and a higher susceptibility to chronic diseases in adulthood, lower attained schooling and reduced adult income. Stunted and wasted children also have a higher mortality risk, which is increased when the two conditions coexist in the same population. Delivering our purpose in Reckitt by providing innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes – enables us to support the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by working to eradicate the burden of preventable disease, improving infant and child nutrition (particularly during the first 1000 days) and helping the world live more sustainably within its planetary boundaries. Critical to this is how we integrate sustainability into our day-to-day business operations and across our value chains. The company’s mission is to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. Reckitt is proud to support the Lead2030 challenge for SDG 2. This challenge seeks to support solutions which work to end malnutrition. Challenge submissions must focus on: achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age or addressing the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, older persons or pregnant and lactating women.