Project launched to end zinc, iron deficiency

PESHAWAR: Khyber Medical University (KMU has launched BiZiFED Project in collaboration with various international and national partners to eliminate zinc and iron deficiency in the country.

The project is aimed at investigating traditional crop breeding techniques coupled with the application of nutrient-rich fertiliser to enrich wheat with essential nutrients such as zinc and iron, known as "bio-fortification", said a press release. The outcomes of this research will provide valuable evidence for policymakers to guide decisions on the scaling up of bio-fortification on a national level.

BiZiFED is an interdisciplinary and collaborative project, comprising international experts in agriculture and food systems, human nutrition and social sciences from Pakistan and the UK from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and collaborative partners Khyber Medical University (KMU), Abaseen Foundation, Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), University of Nottingham (UoN), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), King's College London (KCL), and the British Geological Survey (BGS).

The BiZiFED project is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) within the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). GCRF is a £1.5 billion funding stream for challenge-led research from the UK government Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

Dietary zinc deficiency is a global public health problem, affecting 17% of the world's population, with the greatest burden in low and middle-income countries. The most recent national nutrition survey in Pakistan indicated that over 40% of women were zinc deficient.

It is imperative for global health and prosperity that sustainable, cost-effective solutions to zinc deficiency are found. The prevalence of zinc deficiency is greatest in poor and marginalised populations. These same populations are likely to grow or purchase wheat that is processed into flour at small-scale, local mills (known as chakkis). Up to 65 per cent of wheat is processed at chakkis in Pakistan.