The government is determined to run the NNP up to 2010 as a 'separate entity' considering the acute malnutrition in Bangladesh. The development partners (DPs) have also agreed in principle to finance the project, an official pointed out.

Against this backdrop, the health ministry approved expansion of comprehensive nutrition intervention to 120 upazilas from last month, raising the number of upazilas the programme to 225.

Several studies showed that more than 50 percent of the under-five children in Bangladesh are underweight and about 48 percent stunted. Among the rural women, over 45 percent have body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5, which is indicative of critical food insecurity. About 51 per cent of the pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency anaemia, and consumption of vitamin A is still low, suggesting the causes of vitamin A deficiency should be looked into urgently.

The NNP is designed to reduce the prevalence of severe underweight in children, increase pregnancy weight gains and reduce the incidence of low birth weight and iron deficiency among women and adolescents.

"We want to give NNP an institutional shape. But the project must have a linkage with both the directorates (health and family planning) so that regular activities related to nutrition, such as creating awareness and bringing change in food habit, continue to benefit the vulnerable population," Health Secretary AFM Sarwar Kamal told The Daily Star.

The idea of running the NNP as a separate programme apparently originated when some Tk 110 crore of the four-year project's fund remained unutilised, and the co-financiers -- the World Bank (WB) and the Canadian and Dutch governments -- agreed to extend the credit up to the end of December this year.

The WB on December 14 last year informed the health ministry of their decision to extend the credit. Moreover, the Bangladesh government and the pool financiers have already earmarked Tk 240 crore for fiscal 2004-05 and Tk 152 crore for fiscal 2005-06 to continue the NNP activities.

The health ministry launched the three-year HNPSP in July last year without establishing the role of nutrition component.

Originally, Tk 650 crore NNP ended in June 2004 and finding a delayed start the World Bank withdrew Tk 148 crore in June 2003 leaving Tk 502 crore including government's own contribution of Tk 70.34 crore with the project at a stand-still at that time.

One nutrition centre for every 1,500 people in a union is intended to benefit population of the area. Female contract workers under non-governmental organisations are working as community nutrition promoters, supervised by community nutrition organisers.