2010-12-31 The Himalayan Times
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population is set to upgrade nutrition programmes. This comes at a time when malnutrition is emerging as a major obstacle to realisation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Secretary at the ministry, Dr Sudha Sharma, said the programme will address the nutrition needs of both mother and child from the time of conception. However, it will focus more on nutrition during the first 1000 days – 280 pre-delivery and 730 days after birth.
Although a global wave of 1000-day nutrition campaigns is fast emerging, Nepal is yet to introduce similar programmes. The programmes being implemented in Nepal follow similar patterns, said Sharma. She further added that scaling up proven life-saving interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition during 1000 days can help reduce both maternal and child mortality rates. At present, the ministry is upgrading the micro-nutrient programme with special focus on Karnali region, establishment of malnutrition rehabilitation centres in remote districts, improvement of wheat and salt programme and distribution of iron, zinc and folic acid.
While malnutrition reduction rate is 0.6 per cent, almost half of the children under five in the country are stunted, more than 38 per cent are underweight and 13 per cent are wasting as a result of malnutrition, according to National Demographic Health Survey -2006.
The highest prevalence of underweight children was recorded in the hills of far and mid-west and central regions. Figures for central and far western Tarai show that 20 per cent of the children are wasting away. Humla has the highest prevalence of stunted growth where 72 per cent children are estimated to be short for their age.
As children develop their intelligence during the first 1000 days, this period is considered crucial, said Dr Sharma. According to her, malnutrition – one of the world’s most serious and least addressed problems – is behind 3.5 million deaths each year.
Infant mortality and maternal mortality are directly associated with micro-nutrient deficiency.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Nutrition+programme+revamp+on+the+cards&NewsID=271284
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment