RANGPUR, Jan 27, 2021 (BSS) – A project titled ‘Nutrition in Secondary Cities’ has been taken to ensure rich nutrition for Rangpur city people by eliminating malnourishment of urban infants, children, adolescents and women.
The information was disclosed at a consultation workshop on ‘Nutrition and Food Systems of Rangpur city’ held at Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh in the city on Tuesday.
Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture Bangladesh in cooperation with RDRS Bangladesh organised the event under financial assistance of Swiss Agency for Development (SDC).
Country Director of Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture Bangladesh Md. Farhad Jamil chaired the workshop participated by government officials and nutritionists of different nongovernmental development organisations.
Mayor of Rangapur city Md. Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa attended the workshop as the chief guest.
Consultant of Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture Bangladesh Hamidul Haque Khan delivered a keynote essay narrating goals and objectives of the project in the workshop.
Hamidul Haque Khan said Bangladesh has come a long way economically creating a stronger base to become a middle-income country by 2024.
“Though our growth is the highest in South Asia, we have to face many challenges despite huge reduction in poverty across the country where a large section of the population is still poor,” he said.
He said more employment opportunities should be created for the unemployed male and female youth especially in urban areas where nutrition is another big obstacle.
Citing government statistics, Khan said two out of every five children are still remaining malnourished, underweight and stunted in Bangladesh.
“Among the poor, four out of every five people are malnourished, 14 percent of under-five children are underweight, severe malnutrition rate is 3.1 percent and breastfeeding rate is only 55 percent for infants under six months of age,” he said.
Besides, one-fourth of Bangladesh’s adolescent girls are malnourished and one in every eight women of reproductive age is malnourished and stunted.
“The project will work to provide nutrition to people in Rangpur city from rural and suburban areas and involve the urban poor, women and youths in the programme and create employment and mass awareness about nutrition,” Khan said.
The chief guest hoped that implementation of the project would ensure nutrition for people in Rangpur city, especially benefiting the poor, women, children, adolescents, unemployed male and female youths and backward and vulnerable people.