'Undernourishment fuels health crisis amid policy gaps'

ISLAMABAD:

The growing population of undernourished households is exacerbating the nutritional and health crisis in Pakistan due to policy gaps and a lack of proactive legislation, according to Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Head, Faiz Rasool.

Speaking at a media debriefing session co-organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and GAIN, Rasool emphasised the urgent need for policies that address food security, promote healthy diets, and strengthen food systems to mitigate the impact on public health.

Rasool said almost all of the country's population is persistently facing a threat to their health due to poor access to a healthy diet, whereas 18.5% of them were undernourished. "Malnourishment and obesity as health risks are simultaneously existing in the country, as Pakistan is facing the double burden of malnutrition resulting into aggravated disease burden due to unhealthy diet. Moreover, 6/10 of population diseases are related to food-related problems and poor quality diet."

Since the country is facing nutrition and food safety challenges there is no nutrition policy in the country as there has been no focus of the quarters concerned on establishing such document, Rasool said. The GAIN official underscored that there are serious policy gaps and no guidance available to address nutrition challenges in the National Food Security Policy approved in 2018.

Globally, he said 3.1 billion people almost 42% of the total world population are unable to afford a healthy diet, he said, pointing out that there were food authorities in all the four provinces of the country, whereas food safety was the most serious issue after nutrition in the country.

"Food security policy lacks gender aspect to counter food safety challenges faced by women, whereas no youth the largest part of the country's population is addressed in the policy which is contributing in almost every sector," he said.

Rasool mentioned that food security is a provincial subject after devolution, whereas the input of the provinces on the National Food Security Policy is questionable.

"Our children will face 20% obesity along with malnutrition and stunting risks as 125,000 children are getting impacted by unsafe food," he said.