Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) and the Right2Grow Consortium have launched a joint campaign for enhanced budget allocation to address child rights, specifically focusing on malnutrition among children under the age of five ahead of the 12th national parliamentary election.
Speakers emphasized this need during a media dialogue held at the conference hall of the Daily Star on Tuesday.
The event was part of the campaign for specific budget allocation at the Union Parishad level for child nutrition, aiming to eradicate malnutrition among children under five in Bangladesh.
During the discussion, speakers highlighted that providing proper nutrition and a healthy environment for children is a fundamental prerequisite for building a healthy nation.
While the government prioritizes providing proper nutrition to children to achieve SDG-2 and meet national goals, progress in implementing this initiative has been limited.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commit to ending malnutrition among children under five by 2025 and eliminating all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
Right2Grow is an advocacy program operating in six countries and is run by a consortium of six international organizations.
It has been active in Bangladesh since 2021, to ensure every child reaches their full potential.
The Bangladesh Child Rights Forum (BSAF) is a national-level network of 300 organizations working on child rights across Bangladesh since 1989, promoting child rights at public, private, and international levels.
As part of their collective election manifesto, nearly 30 major national and international child rights organizations, along with civil society, presented specific recommendations to address child malnutrition.
A separate budget sector for child nutrition in the budget formulation table of local government institutions. Establishing an integrated child nutrition program approach involving institutions and activities. Increasing allocation in the national budget to address malnutrition among children under 5 years of age.
Analyzing government budget-expenditure data and preparing reports on nutrition-related activities. Developing a costing model to address child malnutrition. Conducting awareness campaigns involving all stakeholders and sectors. Forming an inter-ministerial task force for integrated planning and budgeting. Establishing an evaluation and monitoring system to ensure transparency and accountability of the allocated budget.
Making coordination activities more dynamic and effective among various ministries and departments of the government responsible for local government institutions. Taking appropriate steps to ensure the free flow and availability of necessary information to stakeholders.
