BAJURA: Programmes on nutritional diet run by the government and non-governmental organisations have yielded dividends for Bajura women in recent times.

During pregnancy, most of the women and their babies in the district had poor nutritional diet, however, they have started to produce local nutritional food and consume regularly.

One of the local women, Banindra Rawal said, "When I gave birth to my first child I didn't know about nutritional diet."

Due to religious and superstitious society, the women were barred from taking nutritional diet in the region, Rawal shared. However, during my second pregnancy, I consumed lots of nutritional foods, like green vegetable, fruits, meat, fish, and eggs after attending programmes in the village.

Juna Rawal of the same village said, "Local women have formed a nutrition group and attend the programme on nutrition every month in the village."

Health volunteer Thuma Padhaya of Badimalika Municipality-7 in the district informed that the health workers and volunteers have been counselling pregnant women regarding nutritional diet required during their pregnancy and methods of producing them locally, among others.

Assistant supervisor, Bindu Badal of the Women and Children Office Bajura said, "Women have started to join programmes to learn about nutritional diet after poor nutritional condition of mothers and babies in the district."

Meanwhile, most of the women in the district attend monthly nutritional diet programmes and hold discussions related to producing them locally, regular health check-up during pregnancy, immunisation and clean environment among others.

Bajura district ranks 77th in terms of poverty and falls far behind in consumption of nutritional diet.