Pervasive malnutrition

NUTRITION is a development indicator, but Bangladesh's growth is said to be stunted due to gross malnutrition. As we celebrate achieving some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), health experts tend to focus on the country's rather bleak nutritional status. Statistics show that six million of the country's 15 million children below five are undersized and intellectually underdeveloped due to severe malnutrition. Thus malnutrition at the present time, if not rolled back with collective measures is bound to cast a long shadow on the country's future.
Malnourished mothers produce weaker children. In other words, taking care of mother and child nutrition should be the first priority. Then we make sure that the children get enough to eat to be mentally and physically healthy.
If high density of population, adulterated food, poor sanitation, hygiene, and environmental pollution directly or indirectly exacerbate malnutrition in Bangladesh, then it's time we have a packaged deal for the children. Set strategic but achievable goals for battling malnutrition as the concerned authorities ensure prompt and target oriented measures to ensure safe water, proper sanitation and hygiene at all levels. In this regard a social awareness campaign should be launched for optimum results.
Not tomorrow, but the battle against malnutrition should start from this very moment or else an ominous future awaits us.