This article was contributed by Miriam Yiannakis, World Vision's Senior Nutrition Policy and Partnerships Advisor.

We know a Hungerfree world is possible when everyone has access to the right foods for today, enough food for tomorrow and sustainable food for the future. Unfortunately, millions of people are falling through the gaps. Malnutrition still claims the lives of nearly 3 million children under age 5 every year.

This year's World Health Assembly is an important moment and opportunity for governments to do their parts to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

2016 is a critical year for nutrition. It marks four years since the global nutrition targets were agreed at the World Health Assembly. It is the year progress against the targets will be reviewed. To have any chance of meeting the 2025 global nutrition and the 2030 SDG targets actors at all levels must take concrete actions to address malnutrition. These action must be backed by generous financing, strong accountability measures and by expanding existing or making new commitments.

As those with the primary duty of care for their citizens, governments must do all they can to accelerate improvements in nutrition. They need to maximize their efforts to effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of women and children—often the most vulnerable and marginalised. It is not news that proactively acting to protect children’s well-being is not only a moral imperative, but it’s a smart investment that also benefits societies and economies now and in the future.

Next week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva (23-28 May) is a key moment to review progress and galvanise new or improved commitments to nutrition. Governments will, for example, review progress on the implementation of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (Nutrition Plan) as well as the six global nutrition targets that were endorsed at the 65th WHA in 2012.

Government ministers will also be encouraged to endorse the Guidance on Ending the Inappropriate Promotion of Foods for Infants and Young Children, if they fail to do this then we fail to protect the most vulnerable among us right when they need it the most. Caregivers and mothers should be able to make choices for feeding their infants and young children without the influence from inappropriate promotion of foods.  The commitments made under the UN Secretary General’s Every Woman Every Child initiative will also be at risk if citizens are not involved in national monitoring and tracking of government commitments. The Global Citizen’s Dialogue at last year’s World Health Assembly clearly demonstrated the importance of involving citizens in efforts to ensure their leaders are following through on their promises.

At World Vision, we envision a world where every child has the opportunity for life in all its fullness. Proper nutrition represents an indispensable foundation to good health, and yet malnutrition endures as the world’s most serious health problem and the single-biggest contributor to child mortality.  All of us must take action now. We all must take whatever action we can both individually and collaboratively. So we urge government ministers, when they arrive in Geneva, to ensure lack of good nutrition is no excuse for a lack of a future for any child in their homeland.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of each of the partners of Global Citizen.