World Food Day: Marathon relay to highlight malnutrition in children

ISLAMABAD:

Over 100 children in Islamabad will join 20,000 children in 39 other countries in the “Race for Survival”, a global marathon relay, to mark the World Food Day on October 16.

According to a press release issued by Save the Children on Friday, children from public and private schools will participate in the relay.

Key government stakeholders will also be invited to the race to show their commitment to the cause of child nutrition.

The children, aged 11 to 13, will aim to beat the record of Kenyan athlete Patrick Makau, who covered 42.195 kilometres in a time of two hours, three minutes and 38 seconds.

Save the Children Pakistan Spokesperson Ghulam Qadri said, “About 43.7% of Pakistan’s children under age five suffer from stunting, a result of child malnutrition. Malnutrition can damage children permanently, impairing their brains and bodies.”

About 423,000 children in the country die before their fifth birthday, many due to preventable causes such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, said the press release. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of roughly one-third of these child deaths.

According to the Pakistan National Nutrition Survey 2011, 35% of under-five child deaths were a result of malnutrition and 58% of households were food insecure.

“There are simple, proven and cost effective solutions to tackle malnutrition, and we are calling on the government and leaders around the world to take urgent action,” said Qadri.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2012.