Despite Bangladesh achieving remarkable gains in nutrition over the past few decades, micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread. Eliminating micronutrient deficiencies are critical for helping children get a good education, earn a good living, and get on the right track to escape poverty. This begs the question: what proven evidence is there for how to fill these gaps?
From 2012-14, IFPRI designed and evaluated a social protection research study called the Transfer Modality Research Initiative (TMRI), which was implemented by WFP in Bangladesh. The study had miraculous results: cash transfers plus nutrition education reduced child stunting three times the national average decline during the two-year project period.
But what about micronutrient gaps? Recently, IFPRI researchers revealed new evidence from the TMRI study, which found that nutrition-sensitive social protection (transfers with nutrition education added) may also be a promising way to advance progress on micronutrient deficiencies.
IFPRI Country Representative for Bangladesh Dr. Akhter Ahmed is a co-author of the study. Please read the full article, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Public Health Nutrition in February 2018.