Healthier mothers for a brighter future

Nutrition programs for young children and pregnant mothers would return up to 27 takas of social good for every taka spent. The latest academic research highlights the smartest ways to combat malnutrition. 

Bangladesh has had incredible success fighting hunger. In 1990, almost two-thirds of children younger than five were underweight, but less than one-third are today.  Recently, Bangladesh even received a “special recognition” award from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization for outstanding progress in fighting hunger and poverty.

National rates of malnutrition, however, are still very high, and stunting is a particular concern.  When children are chronically undernourished or have to fight many infections early in life, they can become shorter than normal for their age, or stunted. Stunting decreases cognitive development, leads to worse health outcomes and school performance, and lowers productivity throughout adult life.  It is especially harmful to Bangladesh, because about 6 million children under age five are stunted."

Read more in Bjorn Lomborg’s article published by The Daily Star.