Speakers at a discussion said a holistic approach has become an urgent need to build a malnutrition-free society and to face challenges of the 21st century.
It is malnutrition, which puts the children into a state of compulsion to usually suffer from psychological impairment and different forms of mental disorders that appears as a threat to their future development, they viewed.
Some of the major nutritional problems in the city like protein energy malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency disorder, iron deficiency anemia, low birth weight, over nutritional and its complication and lack of nutrition knowledge should be removed with collective approach.
The observation came at a “Town Level Orientation on Nutrition Component” held at the conference hall of Nagar Bhaban in Rajshahi city recently.
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and Urban Partnership of Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP) jointly organized the orientation discussing elaborately of how to address the problem collectively.
Mayor Mosaddique Hossain Bulbul addressed the discussion as chief guest with Chief Executive Officer Ajahar Ali in the chair.
RCC Secretary AKM Masuduzzaman, Chief Revenue Officer Syeda Jebinnisa Sultana, Chief Engineer Ashraful Haque, Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anzuman Ara Begum and Chief Conservatory Officer also spoke.
Mayor Bulbul termed the malnutrition problem as a major concern to the metropolis and called for resolving the trouble unanimously. He said many children from both urban-rural poor and marginal communities face malnutrition.
He emphasized the need for implementing a comprehensive package of nutrition services to reduce mother and child malnutrition. Proper nutrition can help prevent a number of health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity.
Malnutrition travels from generation to generation because the malnourished mothers give birth to malnourished babies. If they are girls, these children often become malnourished mothers themselves, and this how the vicious cycle continues.
He said the future generation (children) of the city is in a vulnerable position on nutritional matters as many of them are growing onward bearing the curse of malnutrition.
However, girls are more exposed to malnutrition than the boys as they (girls) are sometimes deprived of getting nutritious foods in their families. Bangladesh can overcome the situation if more pragmatic efforts are taken in this regard.
Understanding the importance of the primary six components of nutrition helps people plan a balanced diet and understand food’s nutrition levels.
As a whole, Bulbul opined that social awareness and educating girls, adolescent and pregnant mothers are crucial to achieve the goal of preventing malnutrition in Rajshahi city.
