The 6th Global Conference (#MNF2023) of the Micronutrient Forum took place during October 16-20, 2023 at the World Forum in the Hague, Netherlands with a thematic focus on ‘Nutrition for Resilience (N4R)'. The conference aimed to explore and enhance understanding of the complex relationship between micronutrient health and human resilience and to accelerate action supporting vulnerable populations amid unprecedented global food and nutrition crises. Over 2,200 delegates from more than 100 countries participated either online or in person at the World Forum.
Mr. Toslim Uddin Khan, MD & CEO, SMC and Mr. Md. Moshiur Rahman, General Manager, held Implementation, SMC participated in the conference. They learned valuable program experiences and insights on nutritional interventions through their engagement in various meetings and panel discussions.
Delegates from SMC showcased two informative papers during the conference. Paper # 561, titled "Developing a Sustainable Business Model for Delivering Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in Bangladesh: An Innovative Social Marketing Approach," was displayed on board # 211 for the global audience. Simultaneously, Paper # 460, presenting an "Innovative Social Marketing Approach for Developing a Sustainable Business Model of Micronutrient Powder in Bangladesh," was exhibited on board # 168. The posters received attention from numerous participants who expressed appreciation for learning about SMC's strategic approaches in promoting the Micronutrient Powder "MoniMix" in Bangladesh over time. Many attendees also commended SMC's pioneering initiative in scaling up MMS through the private sector, noting its promising sales growth.
MD & CEO attended a session both as presenter and panel discussant in the afternoon session. He made a presentation about the SMC's experiences on MMS program implementation. Participants highly appreciated to see the strategies and progress of MMS project in Bangladesh. Later, he acted as a panel discussant to clarify the queries of different stakeholders regarding MMS program implementation in the private sector at national level as a sustainable business model. He responded to the queries of the participants.
SMC delegates actively took part in a comprehensive three-hour workshop organized by Sight and Life (SAL). The workshop brought together various development and implementing partners with the common goal of collective learning, aiming to develop a strategic paper on the MMS program and share the insights and recommendations with global health entities such as WHO and UNICEF. During the workshop, all participants reached a consensus that MMS can play a vital role not only during pregnancy but also in the pre-pregnancy and lactating periods, ensuring optimal nutrition for both mothers and infants. The discussions also highlighted the ongoing secondary analyses and pilot initiatives aimed at promoting the prescription of MMS to adolescents and lactating mothers. Additionally, there was a collective commitment to prioritize pro-poor beneficiaries in the focus of MMS initiatives. These deliberations aimed to contribute valuable perspectives to the strategic paper and advance the understanding and implementation of MMS programs on a broader scale.
Source: Newsletter-47 (October-December), 2023
