Nutrition Surveillance Bangladesh: A Useful Tool for Policy Planning at the Local and National Levels

Abstract

As a response to the inability of both governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide vital information during the floods of 1987 and 1988 in Bangladesh, a nutrition surveillance system (the NSP) was established in April 7990. This is a collaborative effort that involves international and indigenous non-governmental organizations and the government of Bangladesh, and is coordinated by Helen Keller International and funded by the US Agency for International Development. During the past three years the NSP has demonstrated an ability to provide regular and dependable information on the prevalence of undernutrition and morbidity in children under five years of age, household socioeconomic characteristics, food prices, and the extent of distress at household and community levels from data collected every two months by NGOs and the government in selected rural districts and urban slums in all regions of the country. The system was established as a bottom-up surveillance system based on NGO-specific teams with a continuous central quality control system to ensure the collection of reliable data. The NSP has proved to be an excellent tool for policy makers from several sectors, involving health, agriculture, and food aid The NGOs use it for the continuous monitoring of their development programmes and to identify mechanisms through which services can be delivered most effectively. Regional-level analyses evaluated the impact of the universal vitamin A capsule distribution programme. After the cyclone of 1991, the NSP demonstrated its flexibility by expanding rapidly to cover affected districts and provide pertinent information to those involved in relief efforts. Most recently, the NSP has provided information on the role of food prices on nutrition status and assisted the Ministry of Food in its decision-making. The model is worthy of consideration for replication in other countries in the world.