Malnutrition remains a big challenge

Malnutrition and high rate of childhood stunting in the country could have been reduced significantly if nutrition education had been incorporated in different social safety net programmes (SSNPs), experts say.

A recent study conducted by the Washington-based global food policy think-tank International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has found out that mere transfer of food or cash under the SSNPs would not make much difference in terms of improving people's nutrition level unless the SSNPs were tagged with nutrition behaviour change communication (BCC).

 Speaking on the sideline of a press briefing at a city hotel yesterday, IFPRI Chief of Party in Bangladesh Akhter Ahmed told The Daily Star that incidences of malnutrition and stunting could be reduced four times faster, provided SSNPs are tagged with nutrition education.

Although Bangladesh spends 12 percent of its annual national budget to run some 70 to 90 different social safety net programmes, the target of reducing malnutrition significantly has not been achieved yet.

The IFPRI researched on some 5,000 ultra-poor women from 2012 to 2014 to test which of the SSNP transfer modalities -- cash; food; cash and food combination; or cash or food accompanied by a nutrition BCC component -- is the most effective one.

"Of the 5,000, we provided nutrition education to 1,000 only, while gave either food or cash or food-cash combination to the rest 4,000. And then we found that children and family members of those 1,000 ultra-poor women who got both cash/food and nutrition education are far better off," said Akhter, adding that the IFPRI would reveal the details of the research outcome through a workshop in Dhaka today.

According to available statistics, at least 37 percent children under five in Bangladesh are stunted. Each year, malnutrition kills 3.1 million children under five globally and leaves 165 million stunted, trapping generations into poverty and unfulfilled potentials, says Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (Gain). Gain is an international organisation launched at the UN Special Session on Children in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition.

Director General of the IFPRI Shenggen Fan, who was present at yesterday's press meet, said, "In two decades poverty rate has dropped by more than half but stunting rate remains still high."

He appreciated the Bangladesh prime minister's speech in New York recently highlighting food system's vulnerability to weather shocks particularly in the perspective of global climate change phenomenon.

IFPRI DG congratulated Bangladesh for taking the lead in introducing first genetically modified food crop (Bt Brinjal) in South Asia and said, "Our planet has very limited resources. We've to produce more from less [resources] to feed nine billion people by 2050. What is the magic here - it's technology. So, biotechnology is a reality and it has great potential to address many climate-induced stress challenges."

Akhter said under the second phase of IFPRI's Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP) for Food Security and Agricultural Development, they would keep a track on two crops -- Bt Brinjal and biofortified hi-zinc rice -- to observe their rate of adoption in Bangladesh and analyse cost-benefit aspects.

IFPRI Division Director of Development Strategy and Governance, Paul Dorosh, Director and Deputy Director for Division of Poverty, Health and Nutrition, Marie Ruel and John Hoddinott respectively, and its Senior Research Fellow Shahidur Rashid also spoke at the press briefing.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury is scheduled to address as chief guest at the opening session of IFPRI's daylong workshop on "Evidence-based Policy Options for Food and Nutrition Security in Bangladesh," today.