Nutrition emergency declared in Balochistan

Health minister stresses need for technical and financial support

QUETTA: Provincial Minister for Health Mir Naseebullah Marri on Sunday declared nutrition emergency in Balochistan.

The announcement came after the annual progress review meeting of Balochistan Nutrition Programme for Mothers and Children (BNPMC) in Quetta.

Addressing newsmen, the minister lauded the efforts of BNPMC Programme Manager Dr Amin Khan Mandokhail in rendering services to the deprived people of the province adroitly.

 



The minister assured that nutrition related interventions will be made in other districts of the province as currently, nutrition programme activities are in progress only in seven districts.

He said the provincial government has been working in collaboration with federal government, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to address the issue of malnutrition among vulnerable sections of society.

“Nutrition challenge facing the province is devastating,” he said.

Marri promised that under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding malnutrition and stunting growth, the provincial government will render all possible efforts. However, he said technical and financial support is needed in this connection nationally along with development partners.

“Fight against malnutrition and uplift of mothers and children’s health is our government’s motto,” he added.

Health Services Director General Dr Shakir Ali Baloch, BNPMC Provincial Coordinator Dr Amin Khan Mandokhail, representatives of development partners UNICEF, WHO along with relevant stakeholders were present in the progress review meeting.

During the meeting, the participants highlighted the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) report 2011, where the countrywide survey was taken for under five-year of age children.



In the report, Balochistan figures portrayed a dismal picture as 40 per cent are underweight, 52 per cent stunted, 16 per cent wasted, 61 per cent have Vitamin A deficiency (Maternal), 74 per cent with Vitamin A deficiency (Child), 49 per cent with anemia (maternal), and 57 per cent with anemia (child).

The experts stressed that the recent wave of drought and water unavailability increased the ratio of poverty disparity in the far-flung areas of the province where the majority of the population is food insecure.

It is critical to expand and to improve the nutritional status of children under five years and that of pregnant and lactating women by improving the coverage of effective nutrition interventions. Moreover, the priority focus should be on malnourished amongst the poor and other disadvantaged, including women, nutritionally vulnerable groups, ethnic and religious minorities, and socially marginalised occupational and settler groups to all districts of Balochistan.