DHAKA, July 11, 2023 (BSS) - Health experts today at a discussion said maternal nutrition has to be maintained through ensuring calorie-rich food with adequate amount to reduce child malnutrition in the country. 

    Maternal nutrition is very important to break the vicious cycle of malnutrition that exits in all ages of people, they told the discussion with journalists at International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) here.   

    Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of ICDDR,B, joined open discussion with journalists about various activities of ICDDR,B and highlighted very impressive role of the international organization in health sector of Bangladesh. 

    He said, "Like other health issues, we are attaching highest priority to maternal nutrition to reduce child malnutrition in Bangladesh"

     While presenting keynote paper, Dr SM Tafsir Hasan, Associate Scientist, Nutrition Research Division of ICDDR,B, said, "Investment to reduce undernutrition in women are important not only for women's health but also for the health and nutrition of their children."

    "Although we are facing overweight or obesity, undernutrition among women in Bangladesh remains a concern," he added. 

    In his keynote paper, Dr Mustafa Mahfuz of ICDDR,B laid emphasis on dietary adequacy during pregnancy period of women as they need to have more food calorie than other women. 

    Animal protein, fat, carbohydrate and zink consummation was lower in urban women than the rural women, he said. 

    According to the ICDDR,B, in Bangladesh, half of all women suffer from anemia, mostly nutritional in origin. More than half of the population is affected by malnutrition in the country, it added.