Health experts has underscored the need to strengthen the role of nutritionists and dietitians to improve public health, prevent non-communicable diseases and ensure evidence-based nutrition services across Bangladesh.
They said modernising clinical dietetic services and developing skilled human resources have become essential to improving patient care and accelerating recovery.
The observations came at a national dialogue titled ‘Advancement of Clinical Dietetics to Ensure Better Patient Care’ held at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Wednesday.
The event was organised by Shushasther Bangladesh that brought together policymakers, physicians, nutritionists, dietitians, academics and researchers from the health, nutrition and education sectors.
Speaking as the chair, Dr Kazi Saifuddin Bennur, Chairman of Shushasther Bangladesh and Director of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), urged nutrition professionals to engage more actively in research.
He said the BMRC is ready to support them and stressed the need to translate research findings into entrepreneurship and public welfare initiatives.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs Dr S M Ziauddin Haider said both the quality and number of health professionals in the country must be increased.
“Our health system should not remain solely treatment-oriented. It must become prevention-focused,” he said, adding that nutritionists should play a stronger role in mainstream healthcare to ensure healthy longevity.
He also called for expanding the deployment of dietitians to the grassroots level, improving education standards, revising curricula and establishing a regulatory framework for the profession.
He said a dedicated regulatory system for dietitians would be introduced in the future.
The keynote paper was presented by Shamsunnahar Mahua, Chief Nutritionist at BIRDEM Hospital.
She said scientific nutrition services are playing an increasingly important role in preventing malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer.
She stressed the need to develop skilled professionals, strengthen professional capacity and expand research in clinical nutrition.
The dialogue opened with welcome remarks from Syed Md Baki Billah Tutul, a member of Shushasther Bangladesh, and Tamanna Chowdhury, Principal Dietitian at Evercare Hospital.
The concluding remarks were delivered by Chowdhury Tasnim Hasin, Chief Dietitian at Continental Hospital.
During the discussion, Health Sector Reform Committee member and researcher Dr Liaquat Ali emphasised mandatory government registration and licensing for professional dietitians.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Renata Pharmaceuticals called for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to promote the development of therapeutic nutrition products.