Bangladesh project goes global

Spectacular success of a nutrition project in Bangladesh has inspired the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation to take its lessons around the world. Ellen Piwoz, senior programme officer on nutrition at the Gates Foundation’s Global Development Program, said the project on improving infant and young child feeding practices funded in three countries was the “most successful” in Bangladesh. “India is learning from it. We are also thinking to apply this lesson to a new country (for Gates Foundation) Nigeria,” she Piwoz was quoated by bdnews24.com as saying just before the release of the Bangladesh’s project evaluation report on Wednesday. The Gates Foundation implemented the project with the ‘Alive & Thrive’ initiative in malnutrition-burdened three countries – Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Vietnam – for six years between 2008 and 2014. The project focussed on improving nutrition in infant and young children by increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding, and improving complementary feeding practices. Piwoz said every country under the project was “terrific”, but Bangladesh had been the “most successful” in reaching the target population. Bangladesh is a “focussed country” of the Gates Foundation, she added.
- biplab