Daily Times

Child Malnutrition is a condition in which a child gets too much or very less nutrients that cause health problem. But most of the victims of malnutrition suffer from getting less nutrients in their diet. According to recent studies, there are 170 million (30 percent) children with stunted, and 110 million (19 percent) people who are underweight in the world.

Most importantly, Pakistan is also a victim of child malnutrition, as compared to other under developing countries in the world. According to the National Nutrition Survey Statistics, there were 33 percent of underweight children, around 44 percent were stunted, 15 percent were wasted and 33 percent were anemic (Iron deficiency). A child’s diet greatly affects the health and socio-psycho development and academic performance of a child in his/her future.

Similarly, the situation of child malnutrition in Balochistan is worse as compared to other provinces where thousands of children and women die due to food insecurity. Like other social, economic and political issues, women and children malnutrition is one of the major problems in the province.

There are many factors which cause malnutrition, such as insufficient breast feeding and exclusive breastfeeding, unsuitable complementary feeding, lack of maternal education, and proper knowledge of nutrition, micronutrient intake. Also, family socioeconomic status, food insecurity, poor sanitation, vaccination, and infectious diseases. Moreover, food insecurity is the major problem in the context of Pakistan. According to National Nutrition Survey, about 60 percent of women and children lose their lives due to food insecurity in the country and most of these cases are in Balochistan.

It is heartbreaking to mention that around 280,000 children die each year in Pakistan, but most cases go unreported and unregistered due to the lack of digital or other systematic registration systems. Pakistan conducted a national nutrition survey in 2011, after which no such survey has been carried out regarding malnutrition deaths of women and children.

Around 280,000 children die each year in Pakistan, but most cases go unreported and unregistered due to the lack of digital or other systematic registration systems

Despite these issues, UNICEF and Department for International Development (DFID), have taken a step to provide technical support to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) and Aga Khan University; to carry out the National Nutrition Survey in the country in 2018.

Similarly, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) started a project to support the children and women in Dera Murad Jamali district of Balochistan. Balochistan Nutrition Program for Mothers and Children (BNPMC) also is working in seven districts of Balochistan. Likewise, United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in collaboration with Planning and Development of Government of Balochistan started a three year project in 2017, to prevent stunting in children in Pishin district and provide nutrition support to 20,000 nursing and pregnant women and children.

Despite these developments, the situation of malnutrition is abysmal in Balochistan. National Nutrition Cell conducted a survey that 49 percent of the women are suffering from malnutrition and 49 percent were affected by maternal anemia. On the other hand, 57 percent of children under 5 years were the victim of anemia and 29 percent of women had iodine deficiency in the province. Dr. Ali Nasir Bugti, the coordinator for Balochistan Nutrition Cell, said that Balochistan has the highest child mortality rate in the country.

The World Bank has approved $47.95 million to help the children who are under 2 years of age and pregnant women of seven districts of Balochistan in 2014, but the project was not started due to the lack of political will.

Notwithstanding, gender discrimination is one of the most important factors of children and women malnutrition because most of the time, women get less share of the food at home. Other social factors such as a patriarchal mindset, social norms, gender roles and child marriage also contribute greatly in the malnutrition of women and children.

Thus, the government should make nutrition policies and nutritional strategic plans to eradicate this issue because Balochistan is the only province where little or no policies and laws have been made in this regard. BNPMC programs should be promoted to other districts of Balochistan. Moreover, Human resources development, media, awareness among women and provision of food to the people of province should be the priority of the Balochistan government.

The writer is MPhil Scholar at Department of Sociology, University of Karachi, and Freelance writer and Researcher. Can be reached at nadilbaloch75@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, October 5^th 2018.