Government to form review committee

The government has decided to form a committee to review the newly developed therapeutic food for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM).  

It will also form another committee to review the national guidelines for managing acute malnutrition in Bangladesh, said Nasreen Khan, an official of the health ministry, at a discussion on management of SAM children in the country yesterday.

The two committees would be formed within a week with relevant ministry representatives, experts concerned and other stakeholders, she said.  

"We will sit to take a decision about the issues pending," said National Professor Dr MR Khan, a child health expert, addressing the programme as chief guest.

The move was made following a recent debate over ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) Sharnali 1 and Sharnali 2 developed by icddr,b. 

The two food items made of locally available ingredients -- rice, lentil, chickpea, milk powder, sugar and soybean oil -- are rich in energy and protein that have been proved successful in treating SAM children, icddr, b said.

Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation Chairperson Dr SK Roy and Adviser Dr MQK Talukder, meanwhile, opposed the idea of introducing any RUTF in Bangladesh and wrote to the health ministry to stop icddr,b from promoting it.

They argued that it would eventually lead to commercialisation of baby food, promote use of powdered milk and discourage breastfeeding.

Dr Makhduma Nargis, additional secretary at the health ministry; Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, president of Bangladesh Paediatric Association, and representatives from UN Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme and World Health Organization also spoke.