The National Planning Commission (NPC) on Thursday launched the Second Multi-sector Nutrition Plan aimed at accelerating the reduction of maternal and child under-nutrition in the country.
The plan has set the target of reducing the maternal and child under-nutrition in Nepal to 24 percent by 2020.
Launching the plan, Minister for Health Deepak Bohara expressed the confidence that the plan will greatly assist in reducing malnutrition among the mothers and children. He added that the coming government should place addressing the problem of malnutrition in priority.
He lauded the various donor countries and agencies for playing an important role in addressing the malnutrition problem in Nepal and also urged for their continued support in the coming days to that end.
NPC vice-chairman Swornim Wagle expressed the commitment to meet the target set by the plan to reduce malnutrition level to 24 percent by the year 2022.
NPC member Geeta Bhakta Joshi said the NPC will implement the plan in all the 77 districts of the country.
US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B. Teplitz underscored the need for collaboration from all sectors to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition.
NPC member-secretary Bishnu Prasad Lamsal, NPC's nutrition goodwill ambassador Paras Khadka, European Union Delegation ambassador to Nepal, Veronica Kody, UNICEF Director for Region of South Asia, Jean Gough, among other speakers highlighted on multi-sector cooperation and collective efforts for the success of the plan. The first plan period was from 2013 to 2017.
