Building nutrition security in Asia
One billion people in the world suffer from chronic hunger. Two thirds of them live in Asia. A joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and UNICEF aims to improve nutrition security among women and young children to help fight the pervasive and growing problem of under-nutrition in the region.
The initiative supports five Asian countries, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal, under a four-year programme. In Nepal’s Far-Western Region, Nirmila, 2, is screened for malnutrition.
The initiative targets 30 million children and 5 million pregnant or lactating women. Women and a girl head home with fodder and sacks of rice in Sakayal Village, Dadeldhura District.
And it integrates nutrition, health, water and sanitation, agriculture and social protection interventions. Girls in Achham District, where children face a severe acute malnutrition crisis.
Ganga and her 6-month-old daughter, Parvati, live in Biraltoli Village, where community health volunteers are counselling parents on how best to feed their families as part of the programme.
But many families there cannot afford to implement the diet and feeding advice they receive, causing malnutrition to persist. (Left) a community health volunteer visits Ganga and her family.
Key interventions to prevent child under-nutrition focus on positive nutrition practices like breastfeeding. Ghulab and her 1-year-old son, Karita, at home in Mangalsen Town, Achham District.
Jamuna and her 5-year-old daughter, Bipana, who are both ill, belong to an impoverished caste in Khatigaon Village, Achham District. They face exclusion from health, nutrition and other social services.
Improving women’s nutrition is another key intervention. Women work in a paddy in Sakayal Village, Dadeldhura District.
Educating communities on the nutritional value of diverse types of foods helps households vary their diet and improve their nutrition intake. Nutrient-rich vegetables for sale in a Kathmandu market.
Making healthier food choices is improving child and maternal health in Nepal. Durga, 7, carries baby goats in Biraltoli Village.
In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, women in Saravane Province are learning about proper nutrition in community workshops through the programme. A girl waits while her mother attends a workshop.
Saravane is among three southern provinces targeted by the joint programme. Women and children wait for services at the health centre in Pachudone Village, Ta Oi District.
At the district’s Tahuak health centre, nutrition screenings are among services offered through the programme. A boy who screened positive for malnutrition needs additional interventions to improve his health.
Promoting proper hygiene is another key programme component. A teacher explains the importance of good hygiene habits to primary-school students in Ta Oi District, Saravane Province.
A hands-on activity reinforces the lesson. The children mimic their teacher to learn how to wash their hands properly, using soap and water.
Safe water and good hygiene are crucial to prevent malnutrition. Sisters in Kapae Village clean malva nuts, often used as a traditional medicine for diarrhoea — which greatly exacerbates malnutrition.
The EU-UNICEF programme also promotes fortifying staple foods and food diversity for a more balanced diet — and better health. A woman carries sheaves of rice home from a village paddy, Ta Oi District.
An over-reliance on rice — a Lao staple — has left children in the country among the most undernourished in the region. Girls husk rice in Adone Village, Ta Oi District.
Although a rich source of energy, rice has low nutritional value. An elderly woman dries rice outside her traditional dwelling, in Kapae Village, Ta Oi District.
Raising nutrition awareness is helping to change eating and feeding habits for children and their families. Nern feeds her daughter a meal fortified with a micronutrient powder, in Tahuak Village.
Proven, effective solutions to under-nutrition are available, but global commitment is needed to sustain gains in child and maternal nutrition. Boys herd cattle home at day’s end, near Adone Village.
Originally published on www.unicef.org/photography in December 2013.
