From the health clinics of Lumbini Province in Nepal to high-stakes meetings on Capitol Hill, my time there captured the full spectrum of ECF’s work - showing what’s possible when government partners commit to bold, lasting change, and how vital it is to sustain momentum on the global stage. 

I recently returned from a powerful week in Nepal, where I was joined by my colleagues Yasho and Sudip to visit ECF-supported programs and meet with key government officials and political leaders. It was a chance to see firsthand the extraordinary progress being made - and the role ECF is playing to help make it possible. 

In Lumbini Province - the birthplace of the Buddha - we visited health clinics where Helen Keller International, supported by ECF, is trialling the government-led scale-up of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women. The impact was palpable. We heard from health workers and mothers who described babies being born healthier and heavier, and many women shared how their appetites and wellbeing had improved during pregnancy. While we’re cautious not to overstate early findings, the enthusiasm for MMS among frontline workers and families was deeply encouraging. 

We also met children recovering from severe malnutrition, ECF, together with our partner Action Contre la Faim (ACF), is working hard to support the government in strengthening treatment for severely malnourished children, including helping improve access to the use of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) across the country, ensuring more children get access to this lifesaving treatment. 

After two days in the field, we returned to Kathmandu for high-level government meetings. We reconnected with Mr. Pradip Paudel, Nepal’s federal Minister of Health, following our initial meeting at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in March, where Nepal committed to scaling up MMS. Minister Paudel and his team reiterated their strong commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition through MMS, which was further reinforced in a high-level meeting chaired by Dr. Bikas Devkota, Permanent Secretary of Health, where ECF and the Ministry agreed to proceed with co-financing the MMS scale-up. 

We also met with Dr. RP Bichha, a member of Nepal’s National Planning Commission responsible for overseeing the national nutrition strategy, and greatly appreciated his strong support for MMS. We interacted with Mr. Gagan Thapa, a former Health Minister and prominent MP on Nepal’s health and nutrition landscape, as well as the past and future significance of US-Nepal relations. We also connected with colleagues from British and German aid agencies to discuss Nepal’s health aid landscape and identify potential areas of collaboration. 

We are continuing to work towards supporting Nepal’s government to strengthen its systems for tackling acute malnutrition - and demonstrating  that sustainable, government-owned solutions are not only possible, but within reach. 

Widespread support

Back in Washington, our US advocacy team continues to work closely with congressional leaders and the Administration to help ensure that funding for lifesaving nutrition programs remains a priority. In June, Senator Susan Collins - a longtime supporter of global nutrition - raised the issue of delayed RUTF shipments in a key Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. She literally held up samples of RUTF and MMS and asked direct questions to Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. His response was encouraging: he affirmed that these interventions remain a priority for the Administration. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also reiterated the Administration’s commitment to seeing this funding continue. While the funds have yet to flow, we’re optimistic that delays are largely due to transitions within USAID and the State Department, with many key roles still in the process of being filled. We are confident that, as staffing stabilizes, the process of unlocking contracts and shipments will move forward. 

The House of Representatives is also taking important leadership actions: the Appropriations Committee in July approved a bill that would appropriate $300 million for RUTF and require at least half of all nutrition programming to use the most cost-effective and evidence-based interventions, such as RUTF and MMS. We are hopeful for similar action in the Senate’s Appropriations Bill.

This crisis is gaining attention: Nicholas Kristof has written two columns on RUTF, including one featured on the front page of The Boston Globe, and This American Life recently spotlighted the issue with a segment featuring our partner Navyn in Rhode Island. The Washington Post has also reported on the devastating child deaths unfolding in Sudan. 

Historic progress

ECF has helped drive historic progress - scaling treatment of severe malnutrition from 25% coverage in 2021 to 73% in 2024, saving more than a million lives last year alone. We’re determined to prevent that progress from unraveling. 

As ever, I’m so proud of the ECF team - in Nepal, in Washington, and around the world - for continuing to punch above our weight and fight for what matters.