International Life Sciences Awards 2020

16 GHP / 2020 International Life Sciences Awards , Leading Pioneers in Evidence-Based Malnutrition Solutions 2020 Sight and Life designs and cultivates evidence-basedmalnutrition solutions, changing the way food and nutrition is delivered to those who need it most. Originally a humanitarian aid program, Sight and Life has evolved over three decades in response to – and in anticipation of – the ever-changing nutrition landscape. Established in 1986, Sight and Life was a humanitarian program committed to distributing Vitamin A capsules around the world, in particular during the Ethiopian famine of 1987. Within the first three years, the organisation has supported fifty-two vitamin A intervention programs in twenty-nine countries, reaching thousands of children and providing them with valuable, lifesaving nutrition. The name, Sight and Life, encapsulates the organisation’s growth from distributing only vitamin A capsules, which are designed to benefit sight, to becoming a think tank dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Throughout this journey, Sight and Life have worked hard to stay ahead in finding nutrition solutions and serve as an example and model for future cross-sector cooperation and impact. Fast forward to today, the company has grown to become an independent, globally renowned think tank that uses evidence to change the way nutrition is delivered to the people who need it most. With a philosophy that centres around understanding science and nurturing lives, Sight and Life is ideally situated to utilise its decades of experience in both public and private sectors to promote and actualise the necessary collective action in nutrition. Having operated in over eighty low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and garnered a wide network that covers academia, private sector and industry, the organisation seeks to provide unique and sustainable solutions to the nutrition community, which can then be implemented in food and nutrition-insecure populations. As a result, the organisation constantly reviews and adapts their strategies, seeking the most innovative and effective ways to carry out their crucial work. This is currently being manifested in the Sight and Life Strategy 2019-2021 which can be focused into three principle areas. First, the translation of nutrition science so that programs, policies and participants are informed and able to use the science effectively. Second, the establishment of public-private partnerships, a currently underused tool in nutrition, which would accelerate the private sector’s engagement and maximise the impact of both the private and public sector. Finally, the development of viable business models that are profitable or sustainably subsidised and are designed to increase the availability and desirability of nutritious foods. These three fundamental concepts are accompanied by several other projects that are currently in the works for Sight and Life, such as the successful development of a sustainable ‘egg model’, prized for its naturally high vitamin content and its increase in egg production and consumption in LMICs. Sight and Life also regularly hosts Elevator Pitch Contests, a platform that gives young scientists and entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their ideas to a distinguished team of experts, Aug20624 investors and the wider nutrition community, an opportunity that is very hard to come by in an increasingly competitive field. In addition to this, Sigh and Life is proud of the important partnerships they have established with organisations which share similar beliefs as their own. These organisations include UNICEF, WHO, World Vision and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. One of the organisation’s most exciting projects is their work to adapt global and national guidelines so as to provide multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women and those of childbearing age. Good nutrition for this demographic of women limits the risk of life- threatening complications throughout the pregnancy and childbirth, while for their children it can mean the difference between a healthy or physically or mentally disadvantaged life. In this way, nutrition can be used preventively, rather than as a drastic emergency measure later down the line. With so many projects currently underway or imminent , Sight and Life relies heavily on its talented global team, who between them have a skillset that covers everything from science, business, design, demand generation, communications, nutrition and much more besides. Led by Managing Director, Klaus Kramer and a diverse and inspired senior management team, Sight and Life is well-equipped for whatever challenges they might face. Most recently, these challenges have come predominantly from the Covid-19 pandemic, which is having a particularly devasting impact on low-wage and migrant labourers and their families in LMICs. Not only living in fear of the virus, the economic downturn is exacerbating the problem of world hunger, with many people fearing starvation more than the virus itself. Combined with the effects of other global adversities such as climate change, it is essential that action is taken to mitigate the consequences for people around the world. Now, more than ever, Sight and Life is proving how essential an organisation it is, and how phenomenal their lifechanging work really is. Contact: Nola Martin Company: Sight and Life Web Address: www.sightandlife.org Sight and Life