Nutrition-friendly network needed to ensure nutrition for children

Health experts at a function on Friday underlined the need for formation of a nutrition-friendly community network to ensure nutrition for children.

All stakeholders should be accommodated in the nutrition network along with ensuring food diversity and safety for children, they observed.

The experts made the observations while speaking at the closing ceremony of nutrition project of Good Neighbours Bangladesh (GNB), a non-government organisation.

The function was held at BRAC Centre Inn at Mohakhali in the city with GNB Country Director M Mainuddin Moinul in the chair.

Speaking as the chief guest, Prof. Shah Monir Hossain, a consultant of WHO and former DG of DGHS, said ensuring nutrition for children is not a responsibility of any individual, rather it is a multi-sectoral responsibility.

He appreciated the nutrition project of the GNB saying that though it was a small scale project but it has great impacts.

The former DGHS boss called upon the government and non-government organisations to work in a coordinated manner to improve the child nutrition status in Bangladesh.

Highlighting the experience of Sirajganj community based nutrition project for children, Mainuddin Mainul said despite poverty reduction and significant economic progress in the country, about 35 percent of the population is still suffering from food insecurity.

“A large part of them are children especially under 5. And 23 percent of them are underweight. Thus, community based projects should be undertaken to ensure nutritious food for them,” he added.

Centre for Research and Development (CRD), as a third part, evaluated the GNB nutrition project. While presenting the evaluation report, Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, CEO and Lead Consultant of CRD, said the project has been achieved a satisfactory result at the community level.

The project has been completed successfully with the active involvement of Government stakeholders. Providing mid-day meal to students was a key component of this project.

Nusrat Jahan, a Grade 4 student from Kumazpur Primary School situated at Rayganj, Sirajganj informed the meeting that she used to absent from attending school before launching the mid-day meal.

“I used to absent from attending the school as I felt so weak and hungry and I couldn’t concentrate on my study. But since getting the mid-day meal from Good Neighbours, I feel very strong and happy and I come to school regularly,” she elaborated.   

The other speakers from public health sectors put emphasis on ensuring local contribution for the future sustainability of such activities.

Dr. Abu Jamil Faysel, Advisor of GNB, Dr Md. Aminul Islam, a Veterinary Surgeon at Raiganj, Chandan Z Gomes, Senior Director (Operation & Programme Quality) of World Vision Bangladesh, Nigar Dilnahar, Program Policy Officer of WFP, Dr. Nasrin Akhter, Executive director of Radda MCHFP, Dr. Kashfi Pandit, Grants writer & Communications of LAMB Bangladesh, Azim Uddin Mohammad, Technical advisor of ADB, among others, also spoke on the occasion.