Why PNDC is created?
Nutrition is one of the three important factors (heredity, nutrition and training) in determining population quality. Nutrition status affects individual¡¯s physical and mental development. From a macro point of view, the nutrition status of the Chinese population is closely related to prosperity and development of China.
2. Early action needed in the epidemic transition
China is now experiencing an ¡°epidemic transition¡±, moving from a dominating
epidemic pattern of infectious diseases to a pattern of chronic degenerated
diseases related to nutrition. It is high time to take early nutrition
intervention actions. Otherwise, China would have to face huge health
care burdens in future. On the other hand, China still has a sizeable
population suffering from poverty and malnutrition. Nutrition intervention
should be incorporated into poverty reduction programs.
3. Cross-sector coordination: key to success of nutrition action
Public nutrition improvement is a comprehensive, complicated and systemic
program that needs engagement of many sectors. Government, legislature,
industry, consumer, R&D institution, education and NGO all have a
role to play. In government, for example, it involves departments of planning,
finance, trade, health, education, agriculture and others. Currently,
an authoritative body in the Central government is yet to be established
to overlook public nutrition issues, and cross-sector coordination in
public nutrition promotion remains to be further strengthened. Individual
sector conducts its activities separately, with limited results due to
lacking of long-term development strategy and overall planning.