Malnutrition rate higher in disaster-prone areas:Daily Sun

 The rate of malnutrition is higher in natural disaster and drought prone areas of the country as people of such regions cannot purchase as much food as they need after any disaster for price hike of daily commodities, according to a report of some international organisations in 2014. The report also says that children of such disaster prone areas cannot get adequate food from their parents as the
prices of their required food items grow disproportionately for which poor and destitute section cannot afford to buy it, pushing people at more vulnerable situation. The intensity of price hike is higher in disaster prone areas comparing to non-disaster prone or plain land areas and the people of such areas are forced to purchase their daily commodities at higher prices, the study report says. It is observed that higher prices of daily commodities continue in the disaster prone areas even after eight months of disaster. The report also point outs that when disaster takes place in a particular region of the country, the children of such areas fall into malnutrition cycle and get low height as per their age. It says that Sylhet and Chittagong are more advanced in economic activities comparing to Khulna and Rajshahi but their nutritional status is vulnerable. World Food Programme, Helen Keller International, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and Institute of Development Studies of UK conducted the survey report. The report also suggests that the government need to take comprehensive measure for such areas where natural disasters hit so that people of those areas can get availability of food at affordable cost. Regarding malnutrition, Prof Dr Khursheed Jahan, a noted nutritionist, said nearly one third of the children of the country are suffering from different degrees of malnutrition. “Poverty and lack of knowledge on food values are the major factors for high malnutrition rate in the country,” she added. “We should take steps for increasing purchasing capacity of poorer section of people so that they are able to buy daily food items for their family members,” she said. Young child needs 30 to 40 percent fat out of total food demand for his proper physical growth, Dr Khursheed said, adding that parents should be careful to feed the food items which contain fat elements. Dr Khursheed said, “We can prepare complementary food with rice, pulse, oil, egg and vegetables, which contained high calories. The complementary food by mixing these items is very much effective for children and prices of these foods are also comparatively cheap.”