Political solution to malnutrition urged

A seminar on Pakistan's malnutrition challenges on Tuesday proposed actionable political solutions for integration into the election manifestos and broader developmental plans of political parties, aiming to uplift the country's nutritional status.

The seminar, jointly organised by the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Alliance (CSA) Pakistan and Nutrition International, called for recognising food and nutrition security as a fundamental constitutional right, addressing underlying causes of malnutrition like poverty, food insecurity, sanitation, and education, as well as allocating more public funds and investments for effective nutrition programs.

Other recommendations included enacting or revising nutrition-related laws such as mandatory food fortification and breastfeeding protection and promotion laws, scaling up life-saving nutrition services for vulnerable groups, particularly in hard-to-reach areas affected by floods, and reinforcing governance and accountability for efficient nutrition program implementation across all levels.

While speaking at the seminar, Dr Irshad Danish, Senior Regional Advocacy Advisor at Nutrition International, shed light on the persistent issue of stunting in children under five years in Pakistan, which has exceeded global critical levels for the past two decades, currently standing at 40% as per NNS 2018. He also highlighted food insecurity affecting 37% of the population and the prevalent anemia among half of pregnant women.

Stressing the perpetuation of poverty and malnutrition cycles, Dr Danish underscored the role of improved nutrition in enhancing productivity, economic development, and poverty alleviation. The economic toll of malnutrition, estimated at several billion dollars annually, constitutes a significant 3% of Pakistan's GDP, amounting to a loss of $7.6 billion yearly.

Naveed Larik, Program Coordinator for Nutrition and SUN Focal Point at the Accelerated Action Plan (AAP) Sindh, reaffirmed the Sindh government's commitment to combating malnutrition through a series of measures aimed at enhancing nutritional well-being.

He highlighted the forthcoming second phase of AAP Sindh's multi-sectoral program, encompassing critical sectors like health, fisheries, social protection, and agriculture.

Larik commended SUNCSA Pakistan and Nutrition International for their efforts in addressing this critical issue, urging political parties to prioritise nutrition in their agendas.

Chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Iqbal Detho stressed the critical importance of food and nutrition security as a fundamental human right. He highlighted the state's duty to uphold nutritional standards aligned with global declarations like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).