Proper nutrition is a prerequisite for healthy and happy life. Though nutrition plays a vital role in the development of a country, sometimes it does not get proper priority. To combat future challenges and move forward in life sustainable development goals are needed and nutrition can play an important role to achieve those. We can see here the contribution of nutrition to the proposed sustainable development goals.
Nutrition is important for not only healthy life, but also for proper brain development. Proper nutrition helps to increase the working capacity and reduce the poverty. It is approved by research that if the height of a child does not increase properly (stunting), then it creates negative effects on his/her productivity. Again 1 cm increase of height can raise the wage by 5% of an individual. It is estimated that stunted children earn 20% less as adults than non-stunted individuals. Moreover, stunted children have increased risk of becoming overweight or obese in later life.
On the other hand, malnutrition indirectly increases poverty. Malnutrition has inter-link with infection, as a result, it hampers the immunity power and causes different diseases. Malnutrition like overweight and obesity increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc. To bear the cost of different diseases people face challenges.
According to the World Bank (2006), "better nutrition equals less poverty." If we can make sure healthy, productive manpower, then our food production will increase along with other productions and it will help to eradicate hunger.
In this way nutrition can support to eliminate poverty (goal-1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere) and hunger (goal-2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) and will help to ensure a healthy life (goal-3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).
Education is essential to become established in life, and nutrition is important for better education. Nutrition helps in brain development and increases capabilities. So to ensure educated nation, we need to ensure nutrition first. Besides stunting, micronutrient deficiencies also affect learning ability. For example, almost 2 billion people worldwide have lack of dietary iodine, which has correlation with the reduction of IQ up to 15 points.
If men and women both are educated and skilled then they can contribute equally in different sectors. Gender discrepancy will reduce and women empowerment will be possible. Here again proper nutrition is required. If women get the opportunity to be well educated along with men, then it will increase their awareness on different issues including safe water, hygiene, sanitation etc.
In this way nutrition can help to achieve education (goal-4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), gender balance (goal- 5 achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), water and sanitation management (goal-6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all).
By removing undernutrition the GNP losses can be prevented 8-11 % per year. Improved mental and physical development can build more active and skilled labour force, in this way nutrition plays an important role in economic growth and helps to promote productive employment (goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth, full and productive employment, decent work for all).
Proper nutrition helps to lower mortality and morbidity. It also helps to lower fertility rate, which reduces population pressure on natural resources. In this way sustainable use of resources can be possible (goal 14. Conserve and use the oceans, seas and marine resources sustainably and goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss).
When consumers are more informed and educated, they look for high quality, diverse diet as a result it affects the production choice of entire food system and creates demand of sustainable production and consumption. Growing demand and productivity across food system helps to promote industrialization and markets. To ensure proper nutritious safe food the demand of refrigeration, food processing increases. Ultimately, it increases the need of sustainable modern energy for all. In this way nutrition helps to achieve sustainable production and increase the need to fulfil modern energy requirement (goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all). It also helps to build resilient infrastructure (goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive industrialization and foster innovation) and sustainable human sattlements (goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable).
To reduce inequalities within and among countries we need to reduce nutrition inequalities and resolve stunting. It will help to reduce other inequalities including income inequalities.This way it will help toreduce inequality ( goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries).
Researches on nutrient quality supports climate resilient agriculture which is needed to combat climate change (goal 13. Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts). Strengthening nutrition accountability and governance globally helps to promote peaceful society (goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all, & build effective, accountable institutions). Multisectoral platform for nutrition such as Scaling Up Nutrition and Zero hunger initiative help to build stronger global partnerships for sustainable development (goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development).
Here we can see how nutrition can contribute on 17 goals of sustainable development. So we should give more emphasis on nutrition and try to achieve global nutrition targets.
We need to ensure proper care for mother and child during 1000 days including optimal breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding. Maternal education, hygiene, sanitation, micronutritient supplimentation, food safety, family planning are also important issues. We need to maintain collaboration and coordination in our different activities and provide consistent and accurate messages. Also we should use appropriate channels for social and behaviour change communication and monitor the progress for achieving the sustainable development goals.
Email : sharmin.sk@gmail.com
Contribution of nutrition to sustainable dev goals
Sharmin Sultana | Published: April 25, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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