Five NGOs get govt nod to work under NNP in 63 upazilas
Monday, 1 June 2009
The government is going to engage five more NGOs to cater for malnourished poorer sections of the society under the National Nutrition Programme (NNP) as the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase in a meeting Sunday approved their appointment, reports UNB.
The selected NGOs are: Voluntary Organisation for Social Development (VOSD), SKS Foundation, Echo Social Development Organisation (ESDO), Srijoni Bangladesh, and Thengamara Mahila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS).
The Heath and Family Welfare Ministry will appoint the NGOs under the Area-Based Community Nutrition (ABCN) programme in 63 upazilas across the country as part of the NNP agenda.
Of the NGOs, the VOSD will work under two packages while each of the rest will work under one package at a total cost of about Tk 960 million (96 crore).
The government has already been working on ABCN programme in 109 upazilas. Through the appointment of the five NGOs, now the programme will be extended to 63 more upazilas.
ccording to a Health and Family Welfare Ministry report, it has been implementing NNP related to health and nutrition issues under the government flagship programme in healthcare sector styled Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme (HNPSP) since July 2004.
The objective of NNP is to achieve a sustainable improvement in birth weight of children and weight gain of pregnant women and overall nutritional status of vulnerable groups, especially of children and women, through adoption of expected behavioural changes in individuals and households involving local communities by proper monitoring of the operation.
Health Ministry sources said the ABCN activities are being implemented by NGOs in 109 upazilas of 34 districts of six divisions as part of the NNP. Ten NGOs, namely, TMSS, VOSD, SARD, VARD, BESS, HEED Bangladesh, UJMS, SGS, EC Bangladesh and Sushilon have been working with NNP since May 2008 under a new contract.
The core services of ABCN include BCC activities, training, birth weight recording and registration, growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) activities, food supplementation to the malnourished children under two years of age of ultra-poor families and severely malnourished pregnant women and micronutrient supplementation.
As of August 2008, about 29.10 million people came under service coverage.
The selected NGOs are: Voluntary Organisation for Social Development (VOSD), SKS Foundation, Echo Social Development Organisation (ESDO), Srijoni Bangladesh, and Thengamara Mahila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS).
The Heath and Family Welfare Ministry will appoint the NGOs under the Area-Based Community Nutrition (ABCN) programme in 63 upazilas across the country as part of the NNP agenda.
Of the NGOs, the VOSD will work under two packages while each of the rest will work under one package at a total cost of about Tk 960 million (96 crore).
The government has already been working on ABCN programme in 109 upazilas. Through the appointment of the five NGOs, now the programme will be extended to 63 more upazilas.
ccording to a Health and Family Welfare Ministry report, it has been implementing NNP related to health and nutrition issues under the government flagship programme in healthcare sector styled Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme (HNPSP) since July 2004.
The objective of NNP is to achieve a sustainable improvement in birth weight of children and weight gain of pregnant women and overall nutritional status of vulnerable groups, especially of children and women, through adoption of expected behavioural changes in individuals and households involving local communities by proper monitoring of the operation.
Health Ministry sources said the ABCN activities are being implemented by NGOs in 109 upazilas of 34 districts of six divisions as part of the NNP. Ten NGOs, namely, TMSS, VOSD, SARD, VARD, BESS, HEED Bangladesh, UJMS, SGS, EC Bangladesh and Sushilon have been working with NNP since May 2008 under a new contract.
The core services of ABCN include BCC activities, training, birth weight recording and registration, growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) activities, food supplementation to the malnourished children under two years of age of ultra-poor families and severely malnourished pregnant women and micronutrient supplementation.
As of August 2008, about 29.10 million people came under service coverage.