Malnutrition alarmingly high in Pakistan: experts

Say illiteracy, intake of junk food major factors

FAISALABAD: It is shocking that 50 per cent women and children are malnourished in Pakistan. There is a need to step up efforts to deal with the situation. Malnutrition education would pave the way to address the issue.

This was said by University of Reading, United Kingdom food expert Gemma Emily Walton on Monday. She was addressing an international conference on Food and Nutrition. The event was arranged by Institute of Home Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad on Monday.



She added, “The issue of malnutrition is alarmingly high in the country and should be dealt on war-footing basis.”

On the occasion, University of California Professor Dr Nancy J Allen said, “We are developing the curriculum of Masters in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the UAF that will help produce skilled manpower.”

Meanwhile, Faculty of Food Sciences Dean Dr Masood Sadiq Butt, Dr Binish Israr, Dr Farah Riaz,  Dr Nighat Bhatti, Dr Binish Asad and others also spoke.



They said malnutrition has emerged as the biggest problem than energy crisis owing to negligence by the planners and health managers.

The country is losing 3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product due to malnutrition as compared to energy crisis that causes 2% loss to GDP.

They said malnutrition was the one of the major cause of death in children under the age of five. They stressed upon food fortification as an effective tool to combat the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2017.