Speakers at a roundtable here on Saturday said only through employing a multi-sectoral approach can Bangladesh overcome its current alarming scenario of child malnutrition.
Despite the country’s success in reducing child and maternal mortality, malnutrition in children under five years of age in particular has remained a consistent problem, observed the experts.
They were speaking at a roundtable on ‘Child Nutrition: Multisectoral Approach for Investing in the Future’ organised by non-governmental organization BRAC and The Daily Star at the latter’s office in the city.
Dr Raisul Haque, programme coordinator, BRAC Health, Nutrition and Population Programme, presented the keynote paper at the roundtable. Dr Kaosar Afsana, director of BRAC HNPP, moderated the event.
Stressing exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after birth and continuation of breastfeeding up to two years along with complementary food, the experts said thousands of families still lack the education and awareness about proper feeding practice of children.
Referring to WHO 2009 reports, the keynote presentation said most babies are introduced to complementary food either too late or too early. WHO also observes that the complementary food given to babies is often inadequate and unsafe.
Raisul Haque mentioned in his presentation that, 43 percent under-five children are stunted (height-for age), 41 percent children underweight (weight for age), 17 percent children wasted (weight-for height), 26 percent of highest and 54 percent of lowest wealth index quintile suffering from stunting respectively, 68 percent of under-5 children suffering from any kind of anemia and 30 percent of women of reproductive age undernourished
In 2010, early initiation of breastfeeding was 62 and in 2011, it was 75 and in 2012, it was 85.
Meanwhile, in 2010, exclusive breastfeeding was 49 and 2011, it was 82 and in 2012, it was 84.
On the other hand, in 2010, initiation of complementary feeding was 46, in 2011, it was 57 and in 2012, it was 76.
Globally, optimum breastfeeding practices will prevent death of under-five children by 13 per cent while proper complementary feeding will reduce under-five mortality by 6 per cent, said the speakers.
Proper breastfeeding and complementary feeding of children will result in big gains in adult life. They will help increase work capacity, intellectual performance, reproduction capacity and overall health gains in adult life, the speakers said.
In the presentation he also mentioned about ‘The Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Under-nutrition 2008’ is that 1.4 million child deaths could be attributed to sub-optimal breastfeeding practices, including 1.0 million deaths due to non-exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life.
Nutrition-related death and disability could be reduced by 22 percent with high coverage of effective breastfeeding support interventions.
Stunting could be reduced by 17 percent with high coverage of effective complementary feeding from 6-24 months. Focus on the crucial period from conception to a child’s second birthday—the 1000 days in which good nutrition and healthy growth have lasting benefits throughout life.
Ganesh Chandra Sarker, director, Information, Education, Motivation unit under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr SM Mustafizur Rahman, programme manager, Institute of Public Health Nutrition, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, managing editor and Shahnoor Wahid, editor, special supplementary, The Daily Star, Dr Diablok Singha, executive director, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra, Dr Selina Amin, director-country project, PLAN Bangladesh, Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed, Director, Centre for Nutrition & Food Security and Shams El Arifeen, director and senior scientist, centre for child and adolescent health, icddr,b, Dr Ferdousi Begum, nutrition activist, among others spoke at the roundtable.
Source: UNBConnect
