Time for a food policy

Author: Rana Tassawar Ali, September 26 2013      Pakistan has the third highest mortality rate in the world, and children of this country are continually subjects of malnutrition. The alarming situation is that five million children are suffering from malnutrition here. According to the Pakistan national nutrition survey (NNS 2011), one third of all children are born underweight. Experts are in agreement that stunting or chronic malnutrition has an irreversible impact on child physical and intellectual development if it is not treated in the first two years of life.

To prevent stunting and anemia in mothers and their children, there is a need to provide them good nutrition, food security, hygiene, water and sanitation; and other social- and health-related problems need to be addressed together, not separately. Stunting and wasting are considered measures of malnutrition that continue to increase in this country. In Pakistan, children less than five years of age are particularly at risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition among young Pakistani children is one of the serious public health issues as well as the most prevalent cause of mobility and mortality among children. The determinants of malnutrition among Pakistani children are multiple and prevalent at the individual, family, community and country level. Economists estimate that every child whose physical and mental development is stunted by hunger and malnutrition stands to lose 5 to 10 percent in life time earnings, a cost reduction of the GDP [gross domestic product] of the country each year.

As children are the most vulnerable group, it is they who need adequate measures for their health promotion and disease prevention. Therefore, the lack of access to quality health care services affects the nutritional status of young children by depriving them of primary health care interventions like immunization and supplements.  Nutrition experts report that, if malnutrition continues, it can cause swollen gums and decaying teeth. Organ malfunction may occur, leading to coronary heart diseases, osteoporosis or other ailments. The imprint left on the brain by nutritional deprivation, especially in early life stages, leads to lifelong learning and memory deficiencies, lower IQ, and school achievements; psychological and behavioral problem may arise in childhood and adolescence. 

Malnutrition is a multi-sectorial issue - there are different causes behind malnutrition in Pakistan, including poor feeding practices, insufficient access to food, inadequate maternal and child care, and poor water and sanitation conditions in country. The reduction of infant and young child malnutrition is essential to the achievement of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) - basically, the interconnected eradication of extreme hunger and improving nutrition status for child survival should positively impact outcomes of  the MDGs. It is recognized by the National nutrition survey (NNS2011) that nutrition is more than the provision of food, and poverty is more than mere lack of income or assets. One thing must be understood: that good and healthy food is needed for every child to grow well and for a healthy and energetic life.

The malnutrition crisis seems a low priority for the government; there is no specific nutrition policy in Pakistan and not any community-based nutrition program working for improving nutritional status. A malnutrition intervention must be started from the grassroots level. There are three key areas to be addressed: First is malnutrition at the family level where each individual has diverse nutritional needs. Secondly, communities are the places where children and families can be identified for health nutrition. Finally, the country level is where a comprehensive policy on nutrition is needed. The Pakistan government must chalk out the roles and responsibilities of different line departments including food, health, education, agriculture, women’s development and social welfare. In this time in the world, nutrition has been recognized as a pillar of social and economic development. The government of Pakistan needs to show its commitment and address the issue with cooperation and partnerships of civil society organizations. The State is responsible for providing the right to food for its children, and now it’s clearly the responsibility of our newly elected government to save Pakistan’s future generation from malnutrition.