GAIN in Bangladesh

GAIN has been working in Bangladesh for over a decade, partnering with government, private sector, and civil society to make nutritious, safe, and affordable food available to everyone. Our efforts align with national goals for sustainable development and food system resilience.

 

 

 The Malnutrition Challenge

Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in the demographic, health, and nutritional status of its population in the past two decades. The Bangladesh Health and Demographic Survey 2022 indicates that:

 

The prevalence of stunting has declined from 31% in 2017-18 to 24% in 2022. The proportion of underweight children has remained unchanged between 2017-18 and 2022. From 2017-18, the prevalence of wasting increased from 8% to 11% in 2022.

Micronutrient Deficiencies  

Besides, the micronutrient deficiencies are high among all age groups in National Micronutrient surveys conducted in 2011-12 and 2019-20. 

Both surveys showed a high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies—especially in the areas below.

Zinc deficiency icon

Zinc deficiencies

Anaemia icon

Iron deficiencies

Iron deficiency icon

Anaemia remains a major public health concern 

Vitamin A

Deficiencies

Vitamin B12

Deficiencies

Vitamin D

Deficiencies

Addressing the triple burden of malnutrition 

 Addressing the triple burden of malnutrition (undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies), the Government of Bangladesh has been emphasising food systems transformation, including the promotion of healthy diets, nutrition programmes, food safety regulations and fortified foods (both crop biofortification and industrial fortification) through different policies.

In Bangladesh access to healthy diets is critical for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. To achieve nutrition outcomes, Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) has been integrated across nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, including greater focus on promotion of breastfeeding and increased consumption of affordable diversified diets. Investment in programmes and approaches to promote optimal dietary patterns and nutrient intake and enhance demand for healthy and sustainable diets are central to achieving SDGs 2, 3, 12 and 13.   

Five Suggestions for Resilient Food Systems as per National Priorities

 

  1.  Research, investment and advanced technology sharing for agricultural development
  2. Increased funding for developing countries for achieving sustainable food systems
  3. Developing regional and global coalitions and partnerships
  4. Reducing food waste through collaboration among countries
  5. Disbursing the committed fund to adapt to the climate-led extreme events, including sharing of technologies to achieve sustainable food security. 

     


     

 

young children

GAIN's Contribution

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Due to COVID19, conflict in Ukraine, and climate change, malnutrition and hunger have worsened significantly since 2019, reversing a decade of progress. There is growing recognition that our food systems need to change if we are to reverse these trends.  

Bangladesh is one of the countries impacted by malnutrition. GAIN’s Strategy aims to transform food systems to make healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people and especially those who are most vulnerable to shocks. By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries.  

This is bold and complex, and the only way to achieve this is to work together with partners including governments, businesses, and civil society at the country and global level. These goals, and the ways of achieving them, build on our twenty-year legacy of transforming people’s lives with improved nutrition through concerted action and effective policy change.  

In Bangladesh, GAIN has been working for more than 12 years in partnership with various stakeholders including different ministries of government, development partners, UN agencies, private sectors, civil society organizations, and academia. Our work with the government and the private sector invests in sustainable and innovative ventures that tackle the national burden of malnutrition.

GAIN Bangladesh Portfolio & Programmes

GAIN Bangladesh works across a diverse portfolio of programmes focused on strengthening food systems and improving nutrition outcomes. This includes work in food fortification, agriculture, market systems, maternal and adolescent nutrition, private sector engagement, youth empowerment, and climate resilience.
Together, these programmes form an integrated approach designed to reinforce impact across the food system — from production to consumption and policy. Gender and environmental sustainability are embedded across all areas of work, ensuring long-term resilience and impact

Hover and click on the box to learn more.

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Bangladesh Food Policy Chatbot

Interact with the Bangladesh Food and Nutrition Policy Chatbot. It is designed to help answer any questions you may have about Bangladesh's food-related policies. 

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BITE the talk- a GAIN podcast series

In this podcast series powered by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition or GAIN, we will encounter a myriad of intersecting issues, themes, and solutions. We will hear from regular folks like farmers and mothers around the world trying to put nutritious food on the table for their families. We will also talk with food systems leaders, social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and people like you.

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Contact Us

Dhaka, Bangladesh
Level 4, 
House no-20, 
Road no-99, Gulshan-2,
Dhaka, Bangladesh
T +88-02-222280202