National Policies and Strategies Related to Overall Nutritional Status
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National Nutrition Policy 2013 (draft).
National Food Policy 2006
National Food Policy Plan of Action 2008
National Strategy for Infant & Young Child Feeding 2006
National Communication Framework & Plan for IYCF in Bangladesh 2010
The breast-milk substitutes (regulation of marketing) ordinance, 1984, (ordinance no. XXXIII of 1984)
National Strategy for Anemia Prevention & Control in Bangladesh 2007
National Guidelines for the Management of Severely malnourished children in Bangladesh
(2008)
9. National Water Policy 1998
10. National Sanitation Strategy 2005
1.
National Nutrition Policy 2013 (draft)
The national nutrition policy 2013 has been drafted and sent around for comments.
The policy has been formulated with the vision “the people of Bangladesh will lead a healthy life based on
optimum nutrition.
Objectives:
1. Improve nutritional status of the population especially children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating
women
2. Enhance dietary diversity with optimum quality and quantity of diet
3. Scale up nutrition-specific interventions
4. Scale up nutrition-sensitive interventions
5. Strengthen multi-sectoral approach and coordination among relevant stakeholders for improving
nutrition
The following strategies have been spelt for achieving the objectives:
 Improve nutritional status of the population especially children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating
women
 Nutrition security for all citizens
 Optimal nutrition throughout life-cycle
 Adequate nutrition for vulnerable populations
 Enhance dietary diversity and ensure optimum quality and quantity of diet
 Scale-up nutrition specific interventions
 Scale up nutrition sensitive interventions
 Strengthen multisectoral approach and coordination for improving nutrition involving relevant
stakeholders
While the policy does talk about multisectoral involvement for improving the nutritional status of the people it
does not give any concrete direction How much the food producing and supplying sector will adhere to this policy
remains to be seen. Their engagement from the beginning would have yielded better outcomes through improved
coordination and cooperation.
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National Food Policy:
Objectives:
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Adequate and stable supply of safe and nutritious food .
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Increased purchasing power and access to food of the people
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Adequate nutrition for ALL individuals, especially women & children
3. National Food Policy Plan of Action 2008
The Plan of Action translates the provisions of the NFP towards achieving its three core objectives into 26
strategic areas of intervention, priority actions to be undertaken in the short term, medium term and long term
over the period 2008-2015, identifies responsible actors (government and non-government) and suggests a set of
policy targets and indicators for monitoring progress.
The document also provides a set of guidelines regarding inter-ministerial coordination, sectoral planning and
budgeting, with a view to promoting implementation effectiveness. It also gives an outline of the strategy for
monitoring of progress.
Link:
http://www.nfpcsp.org/agridrupal/sites/default/files/The_National_Food_Policy_Plan_of_Action_(2
008-15).pdf
4. National Strategy for Infant & Young Child Feeding 2006
The Goal is to improve the nutritional status, growth & development, health and survival of infants and young
children in Bangladesh through optimal infant and young child feeding practices
Objectives:
1. Increase the percentage of infants aged less than 6 months of age who are exclusively breastfed from
42% to 60%
2. Maintain the percentage of children 20-23 months who are still breastfed at 90%
3. Increase the percentage of children aged 6-9 months who are breastfed and receive appropriate
complementary foods to 50%
Link: http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/IYCF_Strategy.pdf
*Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) : Starting in 1992 till 2007 the Bangladesh Breastfeeding
Foundation (BBF) implemented the BFHI. Conducted training for various level of health personnel, assessed
hospitals/clinics and declared 599 hospitals as babyfriendly. Thereafter primarily due to lack of funds there is
a lull in the initiative. Babyfriendly hospitals have also started faltering because of lack of supervision,
transfer/retirement of trained personnel and of course the continuous violation of BMS marketing
ordinance law by the multinational companies marketing breastmilk substitutes Now that the ordinance has
been revised and strengthened and made into a law, hopefully aggressive marketing strategy and violation of
the law can be contained.
5. National Communication Framework & Plan for IYCF in Bangladesh 2010
The communication approaches are:
Advocacy
Communication for social change
Behavior change communication (BCC)
Link: http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/IYCF_Plan_Document_06-12-2010.pdf
6. The breast-milk substitutes (regulation of marketing) Law 2013, (replacing ordinance no. XXXIII of
1984)
This has just been revised and an official gazette to that effect has been published on September 22, 2013.
From now it will be known as Law (Law no 35 of 2013) instead of ordinance. It includes the breastmilk
substitutes, all kinds of babyfood all kinds of babyfood produced commercially and all equipments used in
preparing and feeding these babyfood, substitutes (English version of the law not yet available). All food
items prepared for children 6mo-5yrs are included under this Law
Link: http://www.bbf-bd.org/sites/default/files/LAW.pdf
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National Strategy for Anemia Prevention & Control in Bangladesh 2007
The Goal is to reduce by one quarter the prevalence of anemia among high-risk groups in Bangladesh by 2015.
Objectives:
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Provide a package of interventions to prevent and control anemia in 60% of high-risk groups, including
micronutrient supplementation, parasitic disease control, and promotion of key dietary behavior known to improve
micronutrient intake
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Fortify at least one food vehicle with iron other micronutrients needed for anemia prevention
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Increase the availability of affordable micronutrient-rich foods through household food production, crop
diversification, biotechnology and biofortification
Link: http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/Anaemia_Strategy.pdf
8. National Guidelines for the management of Severely malnourished children in Bangladesh
(2008)
Based on the global guidelines of the World health Organisation (WHO), and adapted, where necessary, to
the context of Bangladesh the national Guidelines are intended for use in all hospitals and facilities in
Bangladesh for the management of severely malnourished children. They provide structured approach to
the facility-based inpatient care of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 10 essential steps, treatment of
associated conditions, how to address failure to respond to treatment, emergency treatment of shock and
severe anemia and guidelines for discharge before recovery is complete. It is expected that this will promote
the best available therapy so as to reduce the risk of death, shorten the length of time spent in hospital; and
facilitate rehabilitation and full recovery.
Where there is both facility-based and community-based care is available severe acute cases are admitted
to in-patient care once stabilized (usually within 5-7 days) and then released for rehabilitation at the
community-based care centre. However, until community based care is in plaee , all children with severe
acute malnutrition should be treated through facility-based care in a health facility
To maximize coverage and access to therapeutic care for severely malnourished children the guideline
recommends a combination of the following: i) Active case seeking in the community for SAM through rapid
screening methods ii) management at the facility level for severely malnourished children with complications iii)
management at the community level for severely malnourished children without complications and children who
have been discharged from facility-based inpatient care
Link: http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/SAM_Guideline.pdf
9. National Water Policy 1998
Objectives:
1. To address issues related to the harnessing and development of all forms of surface water and ground water and
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management of these resources in an efficient and equitable manner
To ensure the availability of water to all elements of the society including the poor and the underprivileged, and to
take into account the particular needs of women and children
To accelerate the development of sustainable public and private water delivery systems with appropriate legal and
financial measures and incentives, including delineation of water rights and water pricing
To bring institutional changes that will help decentralise the management of water resources and enhance the role
of women in water management
To develop a legal and regulatory environment that will help the process of decentralisation, sound environmental
management, and improve the investment climate for the private sector in water development and management
To develop a state of knowledge and capability that will enable the country to design future water resources
management plans by itself with economic efficiency, gender equity, social justice and environmental awareness
to facilitate achievement of the water management objectives through broad public participation
Link: http://www.warpo.gov.bd/pdf/nw_policy.pdf
10. National Sanitation Strategy 2005
The goal was to achieve 100% sanitation by 2010.
The scope of the strategy was mainly to address unhygienic defecation. However, as with many
development targets with diverse problems the revised target is to achive 100% sanitation by the end of
year 2013. (link: http://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/files/Bangladesh_-_2012_Country_Profile_EN.pdf)
Link: http://www.dphe.gov.bd/pdf/MR11_SanitationStrategy.pdf
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4. National Sanitation Strategy 2005
link: http://www.dphe.gov.bd/pdf/Overall-Progress-On-Sanitation-(Latrine-Coverage)-From-October-2003-toSeptember-2007.pdf
Note: I have refrained from commenting on actual or perceived quality of the policy and the level of implementation before
meeting with the project/ program personnel.
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