‘Steps to improve people’s nutrition’

LAHORE

Provincial Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that the Punjab government is committed to improving the nutrition status of its population, especially children and women.

He was addressing the launch of the SUN Movement Secretariat at the Planning and Development Department. Micronutrient Initiative (MI) supported the Punjab government in launching this initiative.

The minister said that Fortification Initiatives; ‘SUN Movement’ and ‘Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy’ will play a vital role in improving the nutrition situation in the province. He thanked MI and other partners for launch of the SUN secretariat.

He said that results from the 2011 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) indicated minimal change over the last decade in terms of core maternal and childhood nutrition indicators in Pakistan. In children under five years of age, 43.7 percent  were stunted as compared to 41.6 percent  in 2001; 15.1 percent  were wasted compared to 14.3 percent  in 2001 and 31.5 percent  were underweight compared to 42 percent  in 2001.

Vitamin A status had deteriorated and there had been little or no improvement in other micronutrients e.g. Iron Deficiency Anemia — 61.9 percent , Zinc deficiency 39.2 percent , and vitamin D deficiency — 40 percent . The only success story has been iodine status which improved nationally as the survey indicates. Currently, 69.1 percent  of the households are using iodized salt as compared to 17 percent  in 2001.

Khawaja Imran Nazir, parliamentary secretary for health, assured his support regarding legislation for mandatory food fortification programs in Punjab that will help reach fortified food, to poorest of the poor. He said political commitment is necessary not only to succeed at community level for implementation but also legislative cover is required. He will play his due role in provincial assembly for advocacy with parliamentarians on this national agenda without political boundaries and will ensure that necessary steps be taken to address this critical situation of malnutrition along with required legislation for proper implementation.

Dr Tausif Akhtar Janjua, Country Director MI, highlighted the role of MI in addressing malnutrition in the country. He said In Pakistan 45  percent  of children are stunted, this is the third highest percentage of stunted children and means that more than 9.6 million. The three types (iron, iodine and protein energy malnutrition) are responsible for 3-4 percent of GDP loss in Pakistan in any given year. He stated that Scaling Up Nutrition, or (SUN), is a unique movement founded on the principle that all people have a right to food and good nutrition. Aslam Shaheen, Chief Nutrition Planning Commission of Pakistan/SUN Government Focal Point, informed the participants about the objectives of the SUN movement and the improvement of nutrition indicators, it has made in different countries.

Miss Saira Iftikhar, member provincial assembly, informed about the commitment of parliamentarians to improve nutrition in Punjab. Dr Shabana Haider, Member (Health) Planning and Development Department welcome all the participants and said SUN Provincial Secretariat will be launched in Punjab to address malnutrition status in Punjab. Jahanzaib Khan, Chairman Planning and Development Department, thanked MI and all partners for their role.