Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government is paying attention to prevent diseases with the help of nutrition and diet plan rather than treatment of diseases, said Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir on Wednesday.

He was presiding over a meeting on malnutrition held in collaboration with the district malnutrition committee, Planning and Development Department (P&D), Policy Strategic Planning Unit (PSPU) and the UNICEF.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the world’s second largest food and agriculture laboratory was being established in Lahore so that pure and healthy food supply could be ensured to the masses.

He said the purpose of this meeting was to mobilise all sectors at district level to eradicate malnutrition and achieve sustainable development goals.

Dr Tahir Manzoor, health specialist from UNICEF, said that Pakistan’s under-5 stunting rate was much higher than the global one. “This is third highest percentage of stunted children in the world. Every 17 in 50 children under 5 in Punjab are stunted.”

He added, “Under-nourishment doubles the risk of children dying before they turn five. It also increases the risk of children having brain damage, stunted growth and lack of normal cognitive development that can destroy their chances of leading a normal life in their adulthood.

Dr Shabana said that all government departments come forward and take ownership of this important burning issue. The district coordination officer (DCO), executive district officer (EDO) and focal persons should make it imperative that multi-sectoral nutrition strategy was being implemented, and a monthly progress report should be shared with the provincial nutrition steering committee.

Kh Imran said that eradication of malnutrition and stunting was top government priority. He said dangers inherent in child malnutrition were too serious for the government to ignore.

According to study ‘Caught Short’ published by the WaterAid in July this year, as many as 9.9 million Pakistani children under the age of five are stunted. This is the third highest population of children stunted behind the likes of India and Nigeria who lead in absolute numbers.

However, Pakistan ranks eighth in terms of prevalence of stunting with 45 percent of the child population stunted. Around 39 percent of the population does not have access to sanitation while nine percent of the population does not have access to water.

Stunting is a form of malnutrition in which children are shorter than normal for their age and is largely irreversible after the age of two.

If they survive, they grow up physically and intellectually weaker than their better-fed peers.