Many poverty-stricken families and communities in Sylhet and Moulavibazar districts of Bangladesh are suffering from chronic malnutrition. More than 46% of children in the region, under two years are suffering from stunted growth – a sign of chronic malnutrition, which is significantly higher than the national average.
Funded by UKAID and the European Union, Suchana is a six-year program that aims to prevent chronic malnutrition in children in the first 1000 days of life by addressing the multiple causes of malnutrition synergistically.
To implement the planned interventions successfully, WorldFish, Helen Keller International, International Development Enterprises, and other international and national organizations have formed a consortium under the leadership of Save the Children International. One of the interventions aims to help communities grow fish and vegetables at the homestead level in order to increase consumption of nutrient-rich foods. As a result, the nutritional status of the communities will be improved over time
WorldFish is mainly leading the fisheries and aquaculture components comprising of aquaculture and fisheries technology interventions to improve nutrition status of the target groups.
The project expects the following results:
- Prevalence of stunting among the children under two years will be reduced additional 6 percent from national rate of reduction in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts
- Forty percent of households accessing quality inputs from public/private sectors
- Sixty percent of children 0-6 months old exclusively breastfed
- Forty percent of women received at least four antenatal check-ups by a trained service provider during last pregnancy
- Twenty-five percent of children 6-23 months of age who had minimum acceptable diet (MAD)
- Sixty percent of women have decision-making power on major household purchases, food purchase and preparation, own health care and child health care, and family and relatives visits
- Government, development partners and others involved with policy making will refer best practice, lessons learnt from Suchana in their strategic documents or new business plans.
