Budget 2015-16: No funds set aside to fight malnutrition

Public Sector Development Plan contains no separate resources

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has not set aside separate resources in the development budget to address chronic malnutrition in the country, despite tall claims made by the officials of the planning, development and reforms ministry.

Health experts say around a quarter of the country’s babies are born underweight while almost half of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Others who have micronutrient deficiencies experience irreversible mental and physical impairments. According to the not-for-profit Development Partners for Nutrition, more than 1.5 million children in Pakistan currently suffer from acute malnutrition.

But in the recently announced budget for next fiscal beginning from July 1, the government did not allocate separate funds in the Public Sector Development Plan (PSDP) for fighting malnutrition.

Experts believe this ignorant attitude of the government would discourage international donor agencies from making future investments in the country against malnutrition.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Baseer Achakzai, director of the National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) Ministry’s nutrition wing said since 2009-10 the government had stopped funding to address malnutrition.

“This year we were hoping the government will allocate some amount to tackle malnutrition, which is getting worst by each passing day. Sadly all our hopes went in vain,” he said.

Malnutrition causes about 35% of the 800,000 child deaths every year in Pakistan.

Dr Sheikh Tanveer Ahmed, chairman of the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance, feared the government’s attitude would discourage some large international donor agencies, which had planned to invest around Rs10 billion in Pakistan this year for addressing malnutrition.

“When they will see the government is not at all investing to protect its future generations, they will ultimately step back because all international commitments are made on the basis of bilateral efforts,” he added.

Dr Ahmed said there was an emergency-like situation in the country as around 44% children in Pakistan were stunted due to chronic malnutrition. “Malnutrition is affecting the mental growth of our children. The government should give a serious thought to this issue,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2015.