Daily Times

LAHORE: Role of different stakeholders was discussed in the implementation of Punjab’s Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy on Friday in a provincial consultation organised by Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance (SUNCSA) in collaboration with Provincial SUN Unit and Micronutrient Initiative Pakistan.

Delivering the opening remarks, SUN Pakistan focal person Saleem Masih shared that the Punjab government was committed to address issues pertaining to malnutrition in the province, therefore it has approved PC-1s under health, agriculture and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors. He highlighted importance of coordinated efforts, saying that the government was willing to work with academia to implement the provincial multi-sectoral nutrition strategy.

SUNCSA Programme Manager Dr Muhammad Irshad Danish briefed the overall situation of malnutrition in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, beginning with the concepts of stunting and wasting. He said the rate of change for both stunting and wasting has been very slow in Pakistan, adding that poverty was not the only reason behind child malnutrition in the country. He said Punjab contributes more than three quarters of the country’s annual food grain production. “The National Nutrition Survey conducted in 2011 found that stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies are endemic in Pakistan. Despite its major contribution to Pakistan’s annual food grain production, Punjab also faces considerable food insecurity and malnutrition,” he mentioned.

Dr Danish revealed that 59.5% of households were facing food insecurity, 42% children under the age of five were stunted, while 13% wasted. He added that 34% children (under five) were found underweight, deficiency of Vitamin A in women and children was 41.8% and 51%, while 60.3% children were found severally anemic.

The meeting concluded with recommendations that salient features of multi-sectoral nutrition strategy should be shared with all the thematic sectors, with clearly chalked out role and responsibilities for effective implementation. The planning and development department would ensure enhanced coordination between state departments and CSOs, besides leading the SUN Academia and Research Network for conducting new researches and developing minimum standards of service. The department would also educate the masses and concerned government department so that features of the policy could reach the masses, donours, academia, CSOs and communities via use of conventional and social media in Pakistan.