Check child malnourishment for healthy nation
Say health experts
Child nutrition should get ample importance in order to build a healthy nation given almost half of the country's children are malnourished, health experts said at a meeting yesterday.
Quoting the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 2007, they said as high as 43 per cent children are malnourished but their parents can do a little about it due to chronic poverty coupled with their ignorance about its impact.
“As 75 per cent of the brain development takes place during the first two years of age, a child needs proper nutrition at this period,” said child specialist Prof MR Khan.
He said there is nothing better for a baby than breast-feeding, adding that exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months and then complementary feeding along with it is very important for their mental and physical growth.
The mass media should play a greater role in creating awareness on the issue, he said while speaking at a meeting on “How to Make Infant and Young Child Nutrition a Compelling, Visible and Urgent Priority” organised by the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) at a city hotel.
At the meeting with the policy makers of different print and electronic media, speakers highlighted as to how mass media can disseminate the messages of the importance of child nutrition.
“The issue of nutrition isn't getting as much importance as it should,” said the daily Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar.
People's acceptance of the home made oral saline has already demonstrated how media can create awareness and help bring a positive solution, said Shahnoor Wahid of The Daily Star, adding that the media should focus not only on the problem but also its solution.
IPHN Director Fatema Parveen, daily Kaler Kantha Editor Abed Khan, daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Sheikh Salek of BTV, Munni Saha of ATN News, AP Bureau Chief Farid Hossain, Nutritionist Dr Mohsin of UNICEF, among others, also spoke at the meeting.
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