ISLAMABAD -
The level of malnutrition in Pakistan is alarming that cannot be brought down through health sectors policies only as there is a need to adopt multisectoral approaches that should be devised through the lens of nutrition.
Nutritionist, policy makers and health experts said this while speaking to media after attending a workshop on roadmap/action plan on bridging the gaps at implementation level in nutrition. The workshop on nutrition was organised by the Planning Commission and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
They said that about half of the children suffer from malnutrition and around 5 million children face acute malnutrition in Pakistan and the situation has remained the same since long, informed Dr. Mohammad Ayob, nutritionist to Planning Commission.
"The National Nutrition Survey 2011has reported 43 percent stunting rate of malnutrition among Pakistani children under age of five that was 40 percent in 2001-2 thus the levels have remained the same for the last one-and-a-half decade."
He said that the major factors behind the alarming rate of malnutrition in Pakistan are food insecurity, lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation and health services and lack of awareness.
WHO Director Health Protection and Promotion Dr. Haifa Madi said that the levels of malnutrition in Pakistan are alarming. She maintained that the availability of resources is there but there is a need to bring behavioural change at the policy and household level to bring malnutrition level down.
Poor breast-feeding practices, unawareness on balanced diet among mothers and natural calamities also contribute significantly to malnutrition, said Dr. Nomeena Anis, Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations Nutritionist. 'Our eating habits have changed and the things that were not part of our culture have become very common. The trend of having tea immediately after food intake causes lack of absorption of iron in the body.