BSS, Dhaka :
Health experts and officials at a seminar said poor dietary practices along with inadequate knowledge on food values are contributing to malnutrition among the children under five years .
A significant number of people are suffering from different forms of malnutrition as a result of rice-centering feeding practices, they made the observation at the seminar on “Nutrition Security for the Poor” at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here yesterday.
Palli Karma -Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) organized the seminar as part of celebrating its 25th founding anniversary.
PKSF Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, representatives of Non-Government Organizations(NGO) and heath experts, among others, attended the seminar. PKSF Managing Director Md Abdul Karim was in the chair.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Ahmad Qauser and teacher of Institute of Food and Nutrition Science of Dhaka University Prof Nazma Shahin presented the two keynote papers at the seminar separately.
In his keynote presentation, Dr Qauser said though food production in the country has increased significantly during the last of couple of years, malnutrition among the children under five is still high as 41 percent children under-five are suffering from stunting, 36 percent children from underweight and 17 percent from wasting.
Prof Nazma said insufficient dietary intake and inadequate knowledge on food values are leading to develop malnutrition among the children impairing their physical and cognitive development.
She said malnourished children have an increased risk of mortality, illness, infection, cognitive deficiency and poorer school performance.
Animal protein is important to help children grow well, Prof Nazma said adding a majority of low-income families do not feed their children animal-protein-rich diets, which leads to their malnutrition.
Other speakers said in Bangladesh, malnutrition remains a persistent problem as more than 40 percent under-five children are malnourished. Though the country has achieved success in the health sector, it is lagging behind in nutrition.
Health experts and officials at a seminar said poor dietary practices along with inadequate knowledge on food values are contributing to malnutrition among the children under five years .
A significant number of people are suffering from different forms of malnutrition as a result of rice-centering feeding practices, they made the observation at the seminar on “Nutrition Security for the Poor” at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here yesterday.
Palli Karma -Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) organized the seminar as part of celebrating its 25th founding anniversary.
PKSF Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, representatives of Non-Government Organizations(NGO) and heath experts, among others, attended the seminar. PKSF Managing Director Md Abdul Karim was in the chair.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Ahmad Qauser and teacher of Institute of Food and Nutrition Science of Dhaka University Prof Nazma Shahin presented the two keynote papers at the seminar separately.
In his keynote presentation, Dr Qauser said though food production in the country has increased significantly during the last of couple of years, malnutrition among the children under five is still high as 41 percent children under-five are suffering from stunting, 36 percent children from underweight and 17 percent from wasting.
Prof Nazma said insufficient dietary intake and inadequate knowledge on food values are leading to develop malnutrition among the children impairing their physical and cognitive development.
She said malnourished children have an increased risk of mortality, illness, infection, cognitive deficiency and poorer school performance.
Animal protein is important to help children grow well, Prof Nazma said adding a majority of low-income families do not feed their children animal-protein-rich diets, which leads to their malnutrition.
Other speakers said in Bangladesh, malnutrition remains a persistent problem as more than 40 percent under-five children are malnourished. Though the country has achieved success in the health sector, it is lagging behind in nutrition.
