Bridge Gaps, Deliver Nutrition to All

Ali Amjad Hussain
Managing Director at Care Nutrition Ltd.

The Daily Star (TDS): How has Care Nutrition Ltd's (CNL) fortified complementary foods and micronutrient supplements improved nutritional outcomes for mothers and children in underserved communities, and what evidence supports these impacts?

Ali Amjad Hussain (AAH): There is significant clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of the humanitarian products we produce, including Small Quantity Lipid Based Nutritional Supplements (LNS-SQ), Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), Ready to Use Supplemental Foods (RUSF), Microbiota Directed Food (MDF), and Lipid Based Nutritional Supplements for Pregnant and Lactating Women (LNS-PLW). The specific evidence varies based on the product, target population, and study design, but generally these products have been shown to improve nutritional status and health outcomes. We are happy to share more specific details with anyone interested in learning more about the specific products and clinical trials.

Our commercial products borrow from this clinical evidence, though we have not conducted randomised control trials of their efficacy as these products are meant to be consumed by the general population and not distributed through humanitarian, government, or public health channels. When we develop any of our commercial products, we aim to include many of the same macro and micronutrients as are in our humanitarian products in order to create significantly more nutritious alternatives to the most popular imported brands, and to make them available at prices all families in Bangladesh can afford.

TDS: How does CNL ensure that its nutrition products are accessible, affordable, and culturally appropriate for low-income and rural populations, particularly in addressing specific dietary needs and preferences?

AAH: When we develop our commercial products, we focus on identifying the product categories and formats that are most popular with consumers already and that can be formulated to incorporate key macro and micronutrients without negatively impacting taste or driving up costs too much.

We aim to use culturally familiar and relevant ingredients, flavors, and branding that resonate with Bangladeshi families and fit into their existing consumption habits and preferences.

TDS: What distribution channels, outreach strategies, and community engagement methods has CNL found most effective in reaching marginalised and hard-to-reach populations, and how are these adapted across rural and urban contexts?

AAH: We are focused on creating universal access to our commercial products first in the urban and semi-urban areas of the country, which include some marginalized and hard-to-reach populations.  However, we are not yet focused on directly targeting these communities ourselves, and depend on partnerships with organizations like icddr,b, UNICEF, WFP, and iDE to get our products to these consumers.  

TDS: How does CNL monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of its interventions in diverse settings, and what key lessons from past efforts are informing future strategies for scaling impact in low-resource regions?

AAH: For clinical and humanitarian products, we partner with teams of physician scientists to conduct clinical trials and evaluate efficacy. Some of our clinical research partners include Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Washington University in St. Louis, icddr,b, Medecin Sans Frontieres, and The Gates Foundation.

TDS: In what ways have development partners like iDE supported CNL's mission, and how can such collaborations be leveraged further for community education, co-funded initiatives, local capacity building, and sustained knowledge sharing?

AAH: iDE is a key development partner of Care Nutrition Ltd. (CNL), advancing a market-led approach to nutrition access in remote, low-income areas of Bangladesh. Through community education and retailer engagement, iDE raises awareness of good nutrition and CNL's products. Expanding this partnership by co-funding pilots, building local capacity, and sharing lessons will help more vulnerable families access affordable, nutritious foods in hard-to-reach communities.

This content has been published under 'Catalyzing Markets' - a media campaign jointly initiated by iDE and The Daily Star. This interview is conducted by Zahidur Rabbi.

iDE, a global nonprofit organization operating in 12 countries since 1984, drives poverty reduction in Bangladesh through market-driven solutions, with a focus on agriculture, WASH, climate resilience, clean energy, and women's empowerment.