Bangladesh on track for reducing stunting

It is assuring to note that Bangladesh is on course to meet the global targets for reducing the rate of stunting, low height for age among children under five. The existing rate of this major indicator of malnutrition is dropping faster than in the past and now stands at 36 percent. 

While the Global Nutrition Report 2015, an independent annual assessment of the state of nutrition in the world, lauds Bangladesh for this achievement, it also asks the government to do more so that growth retardation among children declines at a faster rate as the prevalence of stunting is still high in the country. The report also indicates the country's relatively poor performance in six other major nutrition indicators -- wasting, anemia in women, exclusive breast feeding, adult overweight, obesity and diabetes -- of which the threat of adult overweight and obesity is growing fast.  

So, the government needs to approach the malnutrition issue holistically and put emphasis on improving the poor status of the six above mentioned malnutrition indicators. It also needs to invest more on nutrition. Nutrition component should be incorporated in different social safety net programmes. General people should also be made aware about nutrition issues through nutrition behaviour change communication programmes.