Experts call for healthy food access for Pakistanis

Say diabetes patients in Pakistan have touched 33m with 10m more on the brink

RAWALPINDI:

The patients of diabetes in Pakistan have touched 33 million this year, while another 10 million are on the brink of catching the disease, says a health expert on the eve of World Food Day 2024.

Governments should ensure public access to healthy food and take steps to promote it on World Food Day 2024 today.

Pakistan National Heart Association (PNCHA) president Major General (Retd) Masudoor Rehman Kiani has underscored the crucial role of the government in ensuring public access to healthy food.

Highlighting the alarming health statistics, Kiani said, "Pakistan is facing a health crisis. As obesity is on the rise, high blood pressure is rampant, and these preventable diseases are becoming a part of everyday life."

He emphasised the need for healthy food choices, stating, "We must focus on domestic food, reduce consumption of processed foods, salt, sugar, and oil, choose water over sugary drinks and prefer fresh and unprocessed foods."

Munawar Hussain, the Country Coordinator of Global Health Advocacy Incubators (GHAI), has sounded the alarm on the dangers of ultra-processed products, citing their widespread use as a primary contributor to the escalating prevalence of non-communicable diseases.

"The statistics are staggering as over 41% of Pakistani adults are overweight or obese and a staggering 33 million people are living with diabetes, with projections indicating this number will balloon to 62m by 2045 if urgent action is not taken."

Hussain specifically highlighted the risks of binge eating unhealthy foods, such as pizzas with trans fat, excess sugar, and salt. He emphasised the need for decisive government action, including hiking taxes on unhealthy products and introducing front-of-pack warning labels to educate consumers about the risks associated with these items. "Such measures have proven effective globally in reducing the consumption of unhealthy products," he added.

PANAH secretary-general Sanaullah Ghumman stressed the government's crucial role in addressing the food crisis through robust policies, including clear front-of-pack labelling.

He was of the view that unnecessary substances harmed not only public health but also the healthcare system, proposing a government tax on sugar, obesity-promoting food items and other disease-promoting products.