Daily Times

The experts on Wednesday said the country was suffering from a very high percentage of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), most of them caused by food and beverages that were not fit for human health and according to a 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) study, six out of ten deaths in Pakistan happen due to NCDs, including three out of ten deaths by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Similarly, according to the National Diabetes Survey conducted in 2016-17, every 4th adult in Pakistan was suffering from Type-2 diabetes, whereas the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimated in 2021 that Pakistan had the 3rd highest burden of type-2 diabetes worldwide with more than 33 million cases with additional I0 million termed as pre-diabetic. Unhealthy food supply and consumption also contribute to the growing number of overweight people. It was especially worrying that the number of overweight children had doubled between 2011 and 2018, and the problem might have worsened in recent years due to a lack of effective regulations or their enforcement by respective authorities.

These disturbing statistics were shared by experts during a training workshop for journalists on “Understanding TFAs, Policy, Human Health, and Reporting”, which was organized by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) with the support of Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), a news release said.

The training was conducted by prominent health experts and journalists including Munawar Hussain from GHAI, Dr. Khawja Masood, National Coordinator, Food Fortification Alliance, Zeeshan Haider, and Waqar Bhatti.

They informed the participants about the major dietary risk factors such as the high percentage of trans fatty acids (TFAs), sugar, and sodium in the food supply and dietary practices. For example, Pakistan’s TFA intake is estimated to be the 2nd highest in the WHO’s EMRO (Eastern Mediterranean) region, as it is about 6% of daily energy intake. The experts shared findings of numerous research studies, which highlight that the consumption of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) significantly contributes to the incidence of NCDs. It was also highlighted that inappropriate and unhealthy dietary practices, including higher consumption of TFAs, are responsible for increasing rates of NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and other chronic diseases in Pakistani population.