New York, Aug. 19 -- At just six months old, Denise's* life was threatened by severe acute malnutrition.

She was born in Gonaives, Haiti, where conflict and natural disasters had been wreaking havoc on the country's food systems and economy. Her mother tried to make enough income to support them both, but buying food was a struggle. At times, Denise's aunt would provide extra food, but even then, there were days Denise went hungry. This precarious situation soon had serious consequences for her health.

Knowing something was wrong, Denise's mother went to a community health post supported by Action Against Hunger. Health workers identified signs of severe acute malnutrition with complications in Denise, meaning she would need intensive t...