Agenzia Fides

Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - Despite the annual economic growth from 5% to 6% since the early '90s, the precarious nutritional status of women and children from Bangladesh undermines the health and welfare of all Bangladeshis, and hinders progress towards achieving the millennium development Goals on maternal and child mortality and poverty. In Bangladesh, one child in 15 dies before reaching 5 years of age, 250 000 children die every year during their first month of life. According to the organization Save the Children, 48.6% of Bengali children under 5 are stunted or short in stature for their age, 13.3% are thin and underweight for their height and 37.4% are too thin for their age . To raise awareness about the problem the Government of Bangladesh said to integrate nutrition programs in the health sector and pledged to fight malnutrition and infant mortality among poor families in the country, but the increase in food prices is exacerbating the situation. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2012)