Daily Times

Malnutrition, a silent killer, has been wreaking havoc on millions of women and children worldwide, but the situation appears to be headed towards a point of no return in Pakistan, where report after report asks the authorities to urgently address the plight of nearly 44 per cent of its undernourished children. With at least 14 percent of women in the reproductive age bracket said to be suffering from wasting, there appears no doubt about the extraordinary risks for the entire future generation.

This week, a conference held by the Ministry of National Health Services with the support of Nutrition International saw experts add more reasons to worry about the persistent yet perpetually overlooked crisis with alarmy claims about 41 per cent of Pakistani women afflicted by anemia, a condition caused by a lack of essential nutrients in their diet.

The prevalence remains the highest in households that are food insecure, which, in the light of a myriad of challenges throwing a spanner in the works of all attempts to mitigate the poly-crisis, should be treated like a ticking time bomb. These reports keep laying bare the devastating impact of malnutrition on women and children, including stunted growth, increased susceptibility to disease, and even death in severe cases. We cannot sit idly by, letting sand pour from between our fingers.

Although offering a glimmer of hope, the Bhurban Declaration signed by health experts, government officials, and international organizations, underscoring the need to prioritize the development of a comprehensive maternal nutrition package is just one of innumerable efforts undertaken by both state and authorities to improve the lives of women and children. Sadly, only a few have managed to rise above empty promises, and most of the instrumental support in this regard comes from international organisations.

In addition to raising awareness about the nutrition interventions in a country where most people do not have enough resources to eat two meals a day, but even those who can afford to fill their stomachs daily do not eat nutritious food, the government needs to collaborate closely with healthcare providers and community organizations to reach vulnerable populations. A good pilot program could be relaunching the fortification of flour with iron at the flour mills, which was suspended soon after the devolution of food production to provinces. *