The World Food Day-2022 was observed in the country as elsewhere across the world on Sunday with the theme ‘Leave no one behind’.
Different platforms observed the day with the demand-- good production, good nutrition, safe environment and better life.
Speakers at a rally on the day said, “We need to focus on better agriculture, better nutrition and better lives with environmental and health considerations, which will help us build inclusive economic development and sustainable cities and towns in the long run.”
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations, Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust, Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh, Rayerbazar High School, Dhaka Ideal Cadet School, Ali Hossain Girls’ School, Dhanmondi Kachikanth High School jointly arranged the awareness rally with the support of Netherlands Government at Dhanmondi in the capital.
Sheikh Mohammad Hossain Khokon, councillor of Ward No. 34 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC); was present at the rally as the chief guest. Ziaur Rahman, senior project manager of WBB Trust; moderated the event, while it was addressed, among others by, Gaous Pearee, director of the WBB Trust; MA Mannan Monir, founder of Dhaka Ideal Cadet School; Arnab Das, teacher of Ali Hossain Girls School; and Yamin Mallik, teacher of Dhanmondi Kachikanth High School.
A number of students from various educational institutions also participated in the rally.
In his speech, Sheikh Mohammad Hossain Khokon said that it is possible to contribute to meeting nutritional demand of people by encouraging rooftop farming in urban areas.
In her speech, Gaous Pearee said that farmers of the country are being deprived of getting proper price even though they are cultivating vegetables safely. If the farmers directly deliver their safe products to the consumers through the Farmers’ Market, they will get the fair price.
Meanwhile, speakers at a separate webinar said that that eating habits of people increase the chances of hypertensive heart disease and fatalities among the people of Bangladesh.
PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support of Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) arranged the webinar titled ‘Eating Habits, Hypertension and Heart Disease Risk and the Needful’.
Sadia Galiba Prova, he coordinator of PROGGA, moderated the webinar, while it was attended, among others, by Prof Dr Md Abdul Alim, a member of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority; Dr Tahmina Sultana, director of Primary Health Care and Integrated Thana Health Complex at the Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Dr Farzana Akter Dorin, national professional officer of Policies for Prevention of NCDs at WHO Bangladesh Office; Shamsun Nahar Nahid Mohua, head of nutrition at Department of Diet and Nutrition of BIRDEM; Dr SM Mustafa Zaman, a professor at Department of Cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU); Muhammad Ruhul Quddus of Global Health Advocacy Incubator; Bipul Bishwas Apon, general secretary of Bangladesh Food and Nutrition Association; and ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA.
The speakers said that the risks of hypertension and heart disease can be decreased by avoiding foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, and salt.
Dr Tahmina Sultana said, “Therapy for hypertension is currently offered in a few community clinics and will eventually be offered throughout the entire nation.”
Approximately 30% of preventable morbidity and mortality from noncommunicable illnesses, including morbidity and mortality from hypertension, are attributable to improper nutrition and physical inactivity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
