CHSS > Research > Nutrition

National Food Security Nutritional Surveillance Project (FSNSP)

Background

In recognition of the serious public health situation that a large portion of its population has faced since the birth of the nation in 1971, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) became a signatory to the United Nations Millennium Declaration and its eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) in September 2000. In October 2005, the GOB presented its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) as a significant milestone in the country's development process. The PRSP envisions that by the year 2015, Bangladesh will achieve 10 main targets, which closely follow those set out in the MDG's. To be able to monitor Bangladesh's progress towards reaching the MDG's and the targets established in the PRSP, the GOB recognizes the need for a comprehensive, nationwide surveillance system, particularly in the key areas of food security and nutrition. Today, food insecurity, malnutrition and under-nutrition continue to be the most serious and chronic public health problems facing Bangladesh. The National Food Security Nutritional Surveillance Project (FSNSP), funded by the European Commission, is a response to this critical need for accurate and timely surveillance data on nutrition and food security in Bangladesh.

The Goal and Objectives of the Project: The primary goal of the FSNSP is to further strengthen and institutionalize the nutritional surveillance system in Bangladesh. The major objectives of the project include:

(a) Further strengthening and expanding the nutritional surveillance system introduced and maintained by the Helen Keller International since 1990; 
(b) Enhance the surveillance system to track the impact of urbanization, rural-urban migration and that of natural disasters (e.g., floods, cyclones) on the nutritional status of the vulnerable populations (women, children and minorities); 
(c) Strengthen the capacity of the James P Grant School of Public Health in emerging as a centre of excellence for nutritional surveillance management, research and advocacy for policy change; and 
(d) In the long run, help institutionalize the nutritional surveillance system within the overall framework of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Project Partners

The James P Grant School of Public Health serves as the Principal Investigator of the Project, while the Helen Keller International (Bangladesh) acts as a major partner establishing and maintaining the nutritional surveillance in all the divisions of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics is also a partner. 

Project Duration and Source of Funding

This is a five-year project (January 2009-December 2013). The European Commission is providing 90% of the funding while BRAC is providing the other 10%. 
 

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