Malnutrition fears grow over relegating NNP

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The Ministry of Health is winding up National Nutrition Programme (NNP) and passing it on to the health directorate in a move that experts fear could weaken the battle against malnutrition in Bangladesh, reports bdnews24.com. The ministry officials, however, argue that it will revamp nutrition activities. They say the decision has been made as the NNP failed to deliver in the last 15 years, an argument that child experts and nutritionists say is not 'evidence-based'. Nutritionists say the decision was taken rather hastily and it will frustrate efforts to purge Bangladesh of malnutrition. The new decision takes effect from July with the commencement of the five-year strategic plan. Forty-one per cent children aged below five are underweight and 43 per cent are stunted due to malnutrition, the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) reports. Director General (DG) of health services Khondaker Md Shefayetullah defended the move staunchly. The NNP was a national programme, but in paper only, he said. "It could not reach across Bangladesh due to incompetence and unhindered corruption," he told the news agency last week. He said their workforce would promote feeding practices of children under two years of age. The government launched NNP in 1995 aiming at improving the country's nutritional status. "We have our health workforces across the country who can reach the nutrition operations to all," the DG said, adding that rural community clinics would be the centre for nutrition activities. "But they (one person in each community clinic) will not be able to go from door to door for counselling mothers for breastfeeding their babies," said paediatrician Dr Khurshid Talukder, research coordinator of the Centre for Woman and Child Health.