Punjab Food Fortification Strategy launched

Our correspoBy ndent

LAHORE : There is a need to improve availability and access to standardised, adequate and balanced diet which meet the nutrition requirement of all members of society with a special focus on the most vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and new mothers, children, adolescents, and the elderly,” said Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Food, Planning and Development Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan on the occasion of launching of “Punjab Food Fortification Strategy 2018.”

“There is also a need to enhance mutual cooperation among provinces and federation to ensure proper diet and successfully cope with the elements involved in adulteration of food, endangering precious human lives in the country”, he said. He appreciated the role of Punjab Food Authority.

The Punjab Food Fortification Strategy 2018 was launched by the Punjab Food Department in collaboration with the National Fortification Alliance (NFA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to address high rates of micronutrient deficiencies in Punjab.

This initiative was made possible by the generous contribution of the Australian government.

In Punjab, more than 39 per cent children under the age of five years are stunted, 30 per cent are underweight, and 14 per cent wasted, according to the National Nutrition Survey 2011.

The survey also indicates a high rate of micronutrient deficiencies among children, including anaemia, 60 per cent, iron, 49 pc, zinc, 38 pc, vitamin A, 51 pc and vitamin D, 67 pc, numbers that are internationally categorised as at emergency levels. “Australia is supporting efforts to improve nutrition in Pakistan. We have committed an additional AUD11 million to WFP to 2020 for nutrition and humanitarian activities, on top of AUD6 million previously committed.

Our partnership with World Food Programme takes a policy and evidence-driven approach to improving nutrition programmes in Pakistan,” said Brek Batley, Deputy Head of Mission, Australian High Commission.

Food fortification is an established and economical way to reduce micronutrient deficiencies.

Fortifying staple foods such as wheat flour, edible oil, ghee and salt with micronutrients are one of the leading ways to overcome deficiencies and improve the nutritional status of a population.

The government of Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination (MNHSRC), the provincial governments and World Food Programme are working together to reduce micronutrient deficiencies through the establishment of National and Provincial Fortification Alliances.

Food fortification efforts require strong collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as a regulatory environment where appropriate government legislation is enacted, allowing for the work of the fortification alliances to be effectively monitored and enforced.

Katrien Ghoos, WFP acting country director, thanked the Punjab government and appreciated the efforts of all key stakeholders, reiterating that addressing the problem of malnutrition was and should remain at the top of the province’s political agenda. Shaukat Ali, Punjab Food Department Secretary, acknowledged the efforts and technical support of the key stakeholders in completing the strategy document.

He also expressed gratitude to the Australian High Commission for its financial and technical support.

Dr Baseer Achakzai, secretary, National Fortification Alliance, said that the strategy provided an outline for developing detailed plans to implement comprehensive fortification initiatives.

He stated that staple foods must be fortified with key micronutrients for adequate health and proper growth of the population.

“We are grateful to the Australian government for its strategic support in finalising the national fortification strategy, including the establishment of fortification alliances in all the provinces, the successful tax exemption on premixed imports, the harmonisation of wheat and oil fortification standards and the Punjab legislation on mandatory fortification, just to mention a few,” Ghoos said.

The Pakistan National Fortification Strategy was launched in March 2017 by the NFA and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination with the support of WFP and the Australian government. The objective of the strategy was to create a national framework for sustained wheat flour, oil/ghee and salt fortification programmes implemented by private and public sectors.