Nutrition-sensitive aquaculture: lessons from Bangladesh

Presenter: Rumana AkterNutrition CoordinatorWorldFish, Bangladesh and South Asia

Nutritional Situation in Bangladesh

• Bangladesh has made impressive progress in reducing undernutrition.

• But micronutrient adequacy among young children and women in rural Bangladesh is alarmingly low.

• Micronutrients deficiency accounts for USD 7.9 billion losses in national GDP.

Undernutrition trend among children (0-59 months)

Micronutrient adequacy among women and young children in Bangladesh

Nutrient Children Women

Vitamin A 7%

Folate 3%

Iron 22% 16%

Calcium None

Zinc 66% 43%

Vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B 12,

calcium

≤ 3%

Intra-household food allocation among women and men

Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance project, 2013

Fish consumption in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has made great strides in aquaculture in the past 25 years

Focus on:

• Production and productivity

• Large fish

• Men in aquaculture

• Household income

FTF Aqua Component: Household Pond Aquaculture

Production Technology:

• Polyculture of carp (large fish) and nutrient-rich small fish, carried out by both men and women

Focus on:

• Partial frequent harvesting of small amounts of small fish

• Household consumption, especially in women and young children

• Sale of carp for household income

Aquaculture - Nutrition Linkages Package in FTF Aqua

Package components:

• Pond polyculture of carps and small fish

• Vegetable production in homestead garden and on dyke

• Promotion of micronutrient-rich small fish and vegetables consumption, especially in women, adolescent girls and young children

• Behaviour change communication (ENA and EHA)

• Gender norms, attitudes and practices

• Monitoring and evaluation

Small Fish• Irreplaceable Animal-source

Food• Essential Micronutrients:

Minerals and Vitamins• Animal Protein• Essential Fats

• Common Food eaten with Rice• Cooked with Vegetables, Oil and

Spices, further Improving Diet Diversity

• Enhances Mineral Bioavailability from Foods in the Meal

• Processed (dried), Stored –Prolonging duration of consumption, reaching non-fish producing areas.

Survey Description

• Cross sectional survey of 524 randomly selected household one year into the program

• Eligibility:

– Small pond owners with at least one child 0-36 months or pregnant woman

• Conducted Nov-Dec 2014 (not peak season)

• Objectives:

– Take stock of current situation with respect to major project outcomes (income and improved dietary intake)

– Identify areas for improvement

– Expand understanding of pathways between aquaculture and nutrition

Proportion of women (n, 243) consuming fish in the preceding 24 hours

33

4240

57

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

National FTF Aqua

Small fish

Large fish

Pro

po

rtio

n (

%)

Proportion of women (n, 241) consuming foods from ≥ 5 food groups in the preceding 24 hours

22

46

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

National FTF Aqua

Pro

po

rtio

n,

(%)

Reported average age (mean, SD) of introduction of fish to children (6-24 months)

Practice of women:Introduction of small and large fish

in children’s diets

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

18

22

24

Large fish

Small fish

Proportion (%)

Ch

ild’s

age

(m

on

th)

For women (n) reporting delaying introduction of fish, why?

18

169

16

34

Too young

Fear of bones

Child doesn't like taste

Other

Nutritional challenges in the first 1,000 days

• Predominantly plant-based diet ( > 70% of energy from rice)

• Low in micronutrients

• High in anti-nutrients

• Limited food diversity ( < 6% of energy from animal-source foods)

• Complementary foods rarely provide adequate energy and micronutrients

• Thin rice porrigde

• Suji – wheat porrigde

• Time

• Safe storage

• Most commonly consumed and well-liked animal-source food in Bangladesh

• Small amounts of animal-source foods in a plant-based diet can substantially increase nutrient adequacy. Particularly important for the 1,000 days.

• Small indigenous fish are particularly nutritious: eaten whole, with head, bones and viscera; provide a rich source of animal protein, essential fats, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin A

Why should fish consumption be increased in the first 1,000 days?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

-9 <6 6-8 9-11 12-17 18-23 24-35 36-47 48-59

% c

hil

dre

n

Age in months

stunting

severe stunting

wasting

severe wasting

Importance of introducing animal-source foods at 6 months of age

Source BDHS 2011 - National Institute of Population, Research and Training (NIPORT), Mitra and Associates, ICF

International. Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Dhaka, Bangladesh and Calverton, Maryland, USA; 2011.

Fish chutney for pregnant and lactating women

Fish-based complementary food for infants and young children

Fish powder – to add to family foods

Fish-based products developed by WorldFish for 1,000 days

Development of Fish-based Products for 1,000 Days

Fish chutney Complementary food Fish powder

Fish chutney

Fish-based complementary food

• Made from local

ingredients

• High content of MNs

(iron, zinc, vitamin A,

calcium)

• High energy density

• Low content of anti-

nutrients

• Include animal-source

food

• Culturally acceptable

• Acceptable taste, texture

and colour

• Easy to prepare

• Hygenically safe

• Rich in

micronutrients

(especially iron)

• Animal protein

• Essential fats

• Energy

Fish chutney for pregnant and lactating women

Conclusion

• Follow-up surveys needed to better understand the effects of nutrition education and behaviour change in aquaculture projects

• Focus on production and productivity of micronutrient-rich small fish and vegetables

• Intensive counselling of mothers/caregivers needed to introduce fish and other micronutrient-rich foods to children at 6 months of age

• Household approach: all household members to support the mother/caregiver to feed the infant

• Fish-based products can fill nutritional gaps in 1,000 days

Thank You

Abdul Baten, Andrew Thorne-Lyman, Sven Genschick, Rina Akter, Asma Akter, Abu Ali Hasan, Manjurul Karim, Hendrik Jan Keus, Ismat Ara, Anna Birkmose Andersen, Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted and Natalie Valpiani