Govt urged to implement breastfeeding laws

PESHAWAR: Lawmakers from various political parties on Sunday asked the government to ensure implementation of breastfeeding laws to address the issue of malnutrition among the babies.

The parliamentarians from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP)pledged their support to address the issue of malnutrition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They were speaking at a briefing organised by the United Rural Development Organisation (URDO).  Zaheer Khattak, Executive Council member and Executive Director of URDO, said that parliamentarians could play an important role in scaling up nutrition programmes.

Dr Naseer Nizamani, Country Director Micronutrient Initiative (MI),talked about the situation of malnutrition in Pakistan particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that Pakistan was facing a malnutrition crisis and a lot was needed to safeguard the country’s future development and prosperity.

The official said that nearly half of all children in Pakistan were malnourished, and it undermined their mental and physical growth as well as the country’s prospects. Dr Naseer Nizamani said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a dangerously high rate of nutritional stunting among children under five years of age.

Dr Mubarak Ali, member Food Security and Climate Change, Planning Commission, emphasised the implementation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Integrated Nutrition Strategy and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Protection of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Act 2015. Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Deputy Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, said thatthe government would make all-out efforts for implementation of breastfeeding laws.  She said legislation for mandatory food fortification and universal salt iodisation would soon be introduced.

Dr Mehr Taj Roghaniadded thatKP government was committed to reducing infant mortality rate in the province. MPAs Zarin Zia, Meraj Humayun, Askar Pervez, Sardar Babak, Mehmood Jan, Yaseen Pir Muhammad Khan, Nagina Khan, Rashida Riffat, Maleeha Ali, Amna Sardar and the representative of various government departments,including health, agriculture, social welfare, food, and representatives from Unicef andthe World Food Programme attended the briefing.