A dissemination workshop on the draft National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) was organized recently by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with support from the World Health Organization. It’s objectives were to provide an overview of NPAN including key action areas and activities, the costing of NPAN and to share the institutional framework for its coordination and monitoring and evaluation. The NPAN is an integrated and multi-sectoral framework for improving the nutritional status of Bangladesh.
The Government of Bangladesh endorsed a National Nutrition Policy 2015 and in line with this, decided to revise the first National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN), which was developed in 1998. This second NPAN focuses on improving the nutritional status of infants especially the first 1000 days, pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and young children. It presents evidence based, cost-effective nutrition specific and sensitive interventions for maximum nutrition impact. These interventions are easy to scale up, efficient and effective and enhance coordination of the Government with development partners and other stakeholders.
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this revised plan of action is expected to reduce all forms of malnutrition and make a significant contribution.