YK Poudel
Bhutanese, especially the children, are experiencing the triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
Inadequate dietary diversity, due to underconsumption of fruits, vegetables, lean animal-based products, and overconsumption of processed foods and beverages high in sugar, salt and fat are the leading causes of malnutrition.
According to studies, one in every five children are stunted; one in three adolescent girls anemic. Almost 86 percent Bhutanese do not eat enough vegetables and fruits.
Country director of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Bangladesh, Taeyoung Kim, said that the World Food Programme (WFP) and the agencies in Bhutan have made remarkable achievements over the years in school food and nutrition for children. “KOICA is keenly interested in assisting the national programmes ahead.”
The key components of the project are to support safe and healthy kitchen and storage infrastructure, contribute to addressing the proliferation of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and help increase the income of farmers through increasing local agriculture production.
KOICA assisted the five year project between 2019 and 2023 with USD four-million.
Titled “The consolidating of a fully integrated universal national school nutrition programme in Bhutan” was implemented by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) with technical support from the WFP.
Chief programme officer at health and well-being division, MoESD, Karma Wangchuk, said that 24 percent of the students in the country were in boarding schools. “Under the initiative, a total of Nu 124 million was provided to MoESD for various plans and projects.”
“The ministry reached out to 15 dzongkhags covering 15 schools with a budget of Nu 95.1851 million,” he said. “Refurbishment of kitchen and stores of 36 schools, supply of mini-power tiller under the school agriculture programme (SAP) to 121 schools, supply of 122 electric cookers in 49 schools, and food preparation training covering 12 dzongkhags training 600 cooks on food handling was carried out.”
Outcome of this initiatives are: improved hygiene, reduced fuelwood, enhanced SAP, awareness on school health and nutrition.
Looking ahead, he said, there are plans to increase 100 more new kitchens and stores in schools, improve the SAP and reach out to the remaining eight dzongkhags.
Moreover, chief agriculture officer, department of agriculture, MoAL, Thinley Namgay, said that the department received Nu 25.7 million between 2020 and 2023.
Based on the study and need assessment, four dzongkhags namely: Samtse, Dagana, Zhemgang and Lhuntse were targeted.
“Under the programme, key achievements were focused on growing chilli, tomatoes and onion which are highly imported in Bhutan. It was done through mechanisms such as drip irrigation, plastic mulching, greenhouses, water storage tanks and seeds,” Thinley Namgay said.
Moreover, he said, reversion of 12-acres fallow land and new land development was done along with investment in research and development.
Based on outcome assessment in four dzongkhags, Thinley Namgay said that the annual gross income of the beneficiary dzongkhags was Nu 24.43 million in a year.
As per the press release from WFP Bhutan, the WFP’s innovative School Menu Planner (SMP) PLUS tool was implemented in 12 dzongkhags in partnership with the ministry of education, ministry of health, ministry of agriculture and livestock and the local government.
The use of SMP PLUS increases the dietary diversity of over 55,000 school children covering about 276 schools.
A national Social Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategy and Action Plan for healthy eating was developed by the MoESD with support from WFP, health ministry and agriculture ministry.
A package of SBC activities, targeting schoolchildren, adolescents and those who influence their food consumption behavior. “The SBC package was piloted in 15 schools in Chukha and Thimphu, and is expected to be scaled-up nationwide,” the press release stated.
Moreover, an SBC advocacy on healthy diets social media campaign, targeting adolescents and caregivers, was carried out on WFP-MoESD managed School Health and Nutrition Bhutan social media pages.
Yesterday, the closing of the programme was held as a part of the three-day visit of country director, KOICA Bangladesh, Taeyoung Kim attended by officials from MoESD, MoAL and other agencies.