‘Malnutrition a big challenge’

LAHORE
THE first international bilateral technical workshop to enhance the capacity of regional laboratories of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held here in Lahore on Monday which expressed concern over alarming situation of malnutrition in the country which needed to be improved.
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and National Fortification Alliance (NFA) organised a two-day bilateral technical workshop for the laboratory staff of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Around 70 experts, practitioners, policy makers, public sector and development partners of various disciplines from Pakistan and Afghanistan participated in the opening ceremony. Sajjad Imran, Country Manager GAIN, welcomed the participants and highlighted that the country had a high level of malnutrition since decades and day by day nutrition status was getting worse. He said the results of the 2011 National Nutrition Survey revealed an alarming situation of malnutrition in the country. He said we needed to improve the access of nutritious food for each and every person of this country. Dr Alia Aftab, PML-N MPA, appreciated the efforts of GAIN, public and private sector as well as industry for fortification initiative in the country in order to improve the nutrition and livelihood of vulnerable population. She mentioned, the provincial government had amended the rules for mandatory fortification of wheat flour with iron and folic acid and its enforcement would be effective from September 2015.
PML-Q parliamentary secretary in Punjab Assembly Sardar Hasan Akhtar Mokal said the training was an opportunity to contribute in improving the nutrition situation, food security and safety in the country. He acknowledged the support of regulatory bodies, GAIN and industry for their support to government. National Fortification Alliance Coordinator Dr Khawaja Masood Ahmed from Ministry of National Health Services, Coordination and Regulation, stated that they were organising training for regional laboratories of Pakistan and Afghanistan for the first time. He expressed hope that the training would support these laboratories to ensure the quality of analysis for testing minerals and vitamins in fortified foods besides building capacity of laboratory staff. Project Manager GAIN, Munawar Hussain said that nutrition indicators had not improved in Pakistan since last decade even many indicators deteriorated. He mentioned that Pakistan had a high burden of under nutrition; 2011 survey revealed, 44 percent children stunted and about 32 percent underweight and 62 percent children were suffering from anaemia. Similarly among women, 51 percent mothers are anaemic, 42 percent are Vitamin A deficient, and 68 percent Vitamin D deficient. He said that malnutrition was a bigger crisis than energy crises in Pakistan, as we are losing 3 percent on our GDP annually due to malnutrition and energy crisis contributes 2 percent loss.
Pakistan Flour Mills Association Anjum Ishaq Chairman PFMA Punjab chapter and Executive Member of PFMA Mr Raza Abbas represented flour milling industry in the ceremony. He mentioned that PFMA partnered with GAIN to start wheat flour fortification in Punjab. He said the training would help us to produce quality fortified wheat flour with iron and folic acid. Representative of Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacture Association Umer Islam said oil milling industry lacked capacity for adequate fortification with Vitamin A and the training would be a great step towards improving quality assurance and quality control of fortified oil and vegetable fats with Vitamin A.