QUETTA: About 68 per cent of households in Balochistan are exposed to food insecurity, with 18 per cent of them being food insecure with hunger while 11.5 per cent are food insecure with hunger and malnutrition, stated health experts on Monday.
Health experts and other speakers were speaking at the inaugural session of a multi-sector nutrition workshop organised by the Plannning and Development (P&D) department of the Balochistan government in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) at a local hotel in Quetta on Monday.
Additional Chief Secretary Meeran Jan Kakar and representatives of Health, Education, Agriculture, P&D, Food, Population, and Finance Department attended the workshop.
"There is a dire need for taking drastic measures to form a multi-sector approach to address the issues of malnutrition and food insecurity,” said Dr Amjad Ansari adding that indicators of health statistics in Balochistan are alarming with not much attention given to its improvement and reversal of the prevailing situation.
Referring to the basic facts, regarding malnutrition in Balochistan, he said that 58.2 per cent of household heads in Balochistan are illiterate whereas 82 per cent of the women do not even have basic knowledge about malnutrition and other health issues, worsening the already grim situation.
Stressing the need for coordination among the nutrition related sector including Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, Hygiene, the WHO technical advisor Dr Khizar Ashraf said that combined approach against the menace of food insecurity and malnutrition would yield desired results.
He added that there is a need to give utmost priority to nutrition and to adopt a multi-sectoral approach in addressing malnutrition and food insecurity. Dr Ashraf further said that a multi-pronged strategy is required to work out on short-term, medium-term and long term targets taking along all nutrition related sections.
Referring to the long-term interventions in combating food insecurity in Afghanistan and Nepal, he said that we could also benefit from their experience.
"If Afghanistan, despite the challenge of a deteriorating law and order situation, could move forward in malnutrition betterment, then Pakistan is in a much better situation to tackle the issue effectively,” he stressed.
Dr Ashraf opined that joint endeavors of the education, health, food and agriculture departments along with the civil society would help overcome the issue of malnutrition.
Additional Chief Secretary Balochistan Meeran Khan Kakar said that recent cases of severe malnutrition reported from Adanji area of Khuzdar district were not good indicators for the provincial government.
"A concerted strategy should be evolved to reverse the situation," underlining the need for creating awareness among the masses to fight back the health issues caused by the malnutrition.
Dr Ayub of the Health department, on the occasion said that currently the provincial health department was working in 13 districts on the issue of malnutrition, adding a PC-1 is being finalised to initiate work in all 30 districts of the province.
COMMENTS (10)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Balochs are suffering because they are the third rate citizens of Pakistan. In Gwadar, the mega port city, people are forced to buy a tanker of water for Rs. 14000/-. And you see Gwadar on bill boards more developed than New York!
What a shame. Our own rulers are responsible too, but they are paid servants who just bid their time. They owe their elections and stay in power to the forces who decide the fate of Balochistan so they are least bothered. They know that they won't be elected if free and fair elections are held with out interference from our friends who have been ruling or more appropriately ruining this country since its birth.
@Sameer Awan 1-Punjab/Pakistan under-prices the gas from Baluchistan, the rate 'fixed' for Sui Gas is less than 1/4th of that for Punjab's gas 2- The Pakistani gov had not paid to the GOB any money for the gas it had consumed since the 60s. Would I be justified if I snatched your Iphone and handed u a Nokia 3310 in return? I don't think we can call it trading,it is a robbery.
This cannot be true. India is the only country where 400 million are satrving. Pakistan is a prosperous country, feeding the world.
@sameer Awan
The comments made by you are ridiculous, biased and reflect your lack of knowledge about Balochistan. Its the fault of those who have controlled Balochistan since 1948 i.e Punjab dominated establishment. In an environment of ongoing ,military operations no crops can be grown using any sort of irrigation technique. The issue of sardars is used to misguide people about real situation about Balochistan and ignorants believe on it blindly.. Truth is bitter my dear friend
@ Sameer Awan Lol there is no need of blame Punjab for food scarcity. Balochistan can easily grow its need, if its due share of water is given from Indus. Besides, Balochistan is given electricity. For you kind information, Balochistan itself produce 1850 Megawatte electricity while it needs only 1250 to meet its requirements. The entire country is enjoying Sui gas from Balochistan. Initially,more than 80 per cent requirements of gas was fulfilled from Balochistan while still over 60 percent gas of Balochistan is used to run factories in Punjab and other provinces. Apart from copper and golds in Reko Diq and Saindak Balochistan has a long coastal area producing million of dollar see food. So, mind it, without Balochistan entire Pakistan is nothing. Let may inform you there is no Sardar in Balochistan right now, if there are they are agents of Punjab and federal government who are selling resources of Balochistan in throwaway prices only for their personal gains. So, If there is Balochistan, there is pakistan, if there is no Pakistan they there will Balochistan.
so what...lets forget about it and start criticizing India...:D
The food security will increase in future as Balochistan cannot grow anything and now they are even threating farmers from Pumjab to even sell goods on Balochistan Punjab border and they are not willing to llearn anything grom Punjab. Recently in Punjab Drip irrigation have been introduced and that is the solution for environments like Balochistan but their leaders and Sardars are so busy in blaming one part of Pakistan that they forgot to do any productive thing for their region. I am sure they will blame this hunger on Punjab as well.