Harnessing ICT can improve nutritional outcomes: Experts
Three organisations — CARE Bangladesh, PLAN International Bangladesh and EcO Social Development organisation (ESDO) — are working together to implement the JANO project.
Disseminating nutrition information to marginalised populations through ICT, which refers to all communication technologies such as the internet, cell phones, and computers, has the potential to impact Bangladesh's nutritional landscape positively, said experts.
Using the experiences and activities of the Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) project, funded by the European Union co-funded by which is coming to an end this year, on a national scale will help enhance the country's nutritional status, they said in the roundtable "Role of ICT for enhancing the efficacy of nutritional improvement" jointly organised by The Business Standard and the JANO project at the TBS office in the capital's Eskaton Garden area on 28 April.
Three organisations — CARE Bangladesh, PLAN International Bangladesh and EcO Social Development organisation (ESDO) — are working together to implement the JANO project.
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Experts from these organisations, along with government officials, took part in the discussion, moderated by Sajjadur Rahman, Deputy Editor of The Business Standard.
Dr Ikhtiar Uddin Khandaker
Director (Health and Nutrition) of CARE Bangladesh
ICT can change nutritional behaviour among marginalised populations. The JANO project's ICT-based solutions have had a significant impact, and these learnings should be applied nationwide.
The government, particularly the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, should take the lead in utilising these in the third national plan of action for nutrition.
We are moving towards a smart Bangladesh with smart citizens. To make smart citizens, malnutrition is a big challenge to face. Rangpur and Nilphamari are the areas where the JANO project is being implemented to improve nutritional security. This project has found that ICT can be a strong tool to create awareness among people and reduce malnutrition.
Dr Shabnam Mostari
Public Health Specialist and Head of Smart Health Accelerator, a2i (Aspire to Innovate)
We have served 1.5 million people during the pandemic. Individual data is crucial, especially for formulating a policy on artificial intelligence within the next 1.5 years. This underscores the importance of individual data. With this data, we can pinpoint the risk factors for mothers and children. AI can significantly enhance nutritional outcomes in this context.
Md Toufiqur Rahman
ICT Consultant-M&I at CARE Bangladesh
The JANO, a five-year project funded by the EU and co-funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation, started its operations in September 2018.
We have been working with children and pregnant women in 14 upazilas of Rangpur and Nilphamari districts as part of the project to enhance nutrition.
The project is scheduled to conclude in June 2024. It comprises four result areas, with the fourth result area focusing on collaborating with local government and various government departments to enhance the information and technology platform.
JANO has reached out to four million people, with 86% being women. Among them, 72.3% of women and girls have availed services from community clinics through our project. Additionally, 133,316 women have accessed ICT-based nutrition messages through our interventions.
JANO aims to digitise the "courtyard session," for which we have introduced e-sessions and e-learning. E-sessions are tailored for frontline workers, while e-learning is designed for project participants, with applications available for self-learning.
Interactive learning tools like talking books (written content with audio elements) have been introduced to facilitate learning through entertainment, catering to individuals without access to mobile phones. Moreover, numerous nutrition-related text messages have been disseminated.
Dr Zaki Haider
The Director of Innovation at mPower Social Enterprises Ltd
Nutrition intertwines with every aspect of our lives. Numerous ministries address nutrition, making it challenging to pinpoint the primary department responsible.
Collaborative efforts are essential to combat malnutrition effectively. While entities like the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, Upazila Nutrition Coordination Committees and District Nutrition Coordination Committees operate independently, greater synergy among them would yield more impactful results.
Md Asif Ferdous
The Health and Family Planning Officer of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur
We require a data-driven line survey to effectively address the needs of mothers and children. Utilising the JANO project, we have disseminated health messages to pregnant women and equipped midwives with devices to communicate with them. I urge non-governmental organisations to support us with ICT devices.
However, we face shortages of ICT equipment and infrastructure issues. To enhance our existing system, we must collaborate with the government. Fortunately, many individuals in my area own smartphones. By developing our application, we can consolidate all records, facilitating developmental strides.
Dr Farzana Rahman
Deputy Director of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council
What encompasses nutrition? It is the sum of all the process of obtaining nutrients, metabolizing and using them to support growth, development & maintenance of a healthy life. So, what defines malnutrition?
Child stunting, wasting, and underweight are the three primary indicators of malnutrition among children under the age of five. The annual rate of reduction in stunting has been recorded at 1.6% from 2011 to 2017-18. Our aim is to foster productive and well-nourished citizens to propel Bangladesh towards a smarter country. We prioritize nurturing children during their crucial first 1000 days while also extending our efforts to support mothers and adolescent girls.
The Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021, attended by our prime minister in Tokyo and featuring 12 commitments, centered on five priority area and three pillars: health, food and resilience and two cross-cutting components: innovative financing and accountability for addressing the gaps to achieve targets with 2025.
Notably, commitments 11 and 12 focused on strengthening and mainstreaming the multi-sectoral nutrition surveillance system and enhancing multi-sectoral tracking of financial allocations for nutrition. We are actively engaged in fulfilling these commitments.
To achieve the best result, we need to develop a web-based expert system for nutrition diagnosis for diagnosing the nutritional status of every citizen by utilizing the expert system techniques in artificial intelligence and establish a tracker system for monitoring and visualization the data and other nutrition related activities.
Jannat Noor
Project Director at United Purpose Bangladesh
Telemedicine was extensively used during the pandemic — refers to the remote provision of healthcare services using telecommunications technology. We have to find ways to bring marginalised communities under telemedicine.
It is also important to raise awareness about ICT usage and sustain the JANO project's services post-completion as the continuity will ensure its success. Also, continuous data transmission to the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council should be facilitated, a measure likely to receive ministry approval.
Tahmina Haque
Senior Technical Advisor (Knowledge Management and Research) at CARE USA
An app helped me a lot during my pregnancy. I used to monitor my child's health and movement through that app. It even told me what nutrition to take for me and my child.
ICT sessions are very important for pregnant mothers. Such apps will be helpful for marginalised mothers, children and adolescent girls. Even neighbours and family members of the app users will learn and get help from these apps.
We got a lot of data from the JANO project. This data, if utilised properly, can help develop apps that could create a real impact on people's lives.
Tony Michael Gomes
Director – Strategic Partnership, Advocacy and Communications at CARE Bangladesh
We can divide the role of ICT in nutritional enhancement into three sectors. First is the data for decision-making, which is not up–to–date and of no use in reducing malnutrition.
This outdated data hampers efforts to combat malnutrition effectively, especially in the context of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted various aspects of health, income, and agriculture.
We need data integration. Partners of the JANO project are trying their best to combine data but it is a difficult endeavour, without the government support.
Secondly, when we search for nutrition information online, we often encounter numerous resources focused on dieting. This raises concerns about the quality of content being disseminated through such platforms, which directly impacts decision-making and behavioural change.
Enhancing content quality becomes pivotal in driving behavioural shifts. To achieve this, improving search engine optimisation serves as a foundational step.
Thirdly, Bangladesh has yet to embrace app-driven platforms for decision-making, particularly in rural areas where access to such technology remains limited.
Finally, I would like to address the issue of food waste. Despite the country grappling with malnutrition, a significant amount of food is being wasted.
Nandinee Chowdhury
Project Manager of the Digitalisation – Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) initiative at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
There is a challenge in sharing data between the private sector and the government. Many of us are sharing data despite facing issues such as data duplication as there is a need to streamline data for greater effectiveness.
Regarding sustainability and ownership, our aim is for the government to take ownership of our project to ensure alignment with user needs. We should offer the sustainability plan and ownership so that the process goes on.
There are complexities involved in product distribution to retailers. In 2013, we were instructed to add vitamin A capsules (15-30 milligrams/KG) to edible oil to address vitamin A deficiency. Failure to comply could result in food security concerns. Once the product reaches retailers, however, it becomes their responsibility, and factors like exposure to sunlight can affect its quality.
DR MD Sirajul Haque
District Livestock Officer and DNCC Member, Nilphamari
Milk is recognised as the most nourishing food, providing a balanced combination of nutrients. Additionally, eggs are also rich in essential nutrition. These messages need to be disseminated and ICT can play an important role here. Since everyone does not have access to Android phones, billboards can be used to spread nutritional information alongside ICT initiatives.
Courtyard session is another effective method to educate rural communities about nutrition. These sessions offer a valuable opportunity for both men and women to gain nutrition knowledge.
Dr Sheikh Shahed Rahman
Ex-Team Leader of the Suchana Programme and Secretary of CSA-SUN Bangladesh
Many people are integrating ICT into initiatives for community-based nutrition development and promoting behavioural change within communities.
However, there are challenges associated with incorporating ICT into decision-making processes, particularly regarding the monitoring and recording of child vaccinations.
While some districts have successfully implemented digital recording systems, there remains a need to ensure widespread adoption and awareness of these successes. Collaboration between districts is essential for further progress in this regard. Also, access to ICT equipment needs to be increased.
Saiqa Siraj
Country Director of Nutrition International in Bangladesh
We need to shift our focus on the marginalised people in urban areas as the demographic is changing due to a decrease in rural areas.
We should target adolescents, who are the most avid users of technology, unlike older age groups. ICT will help change their behavioural pattern.
ICT also has an impact on gender dynamics. We made a cooking video which attracted a significant male audience. This underscores how ICT has contributed to a more gender-inclusive environment.
Rumana Sharmin
Research Analyst and Head of Research with UNDP Bangladesh
The interconnectedness of various sectors is crucial for building a smart Bangladesh. Health and agriculture are connected, health and nutrition are connected, nutrition and health are connected, and climate is connected with nutrition. All these sectors are interconnected and equally important. Therefore, there is a need for coordination in these sectors.
