The seminar on “Food Security & Nutrition; Strategic Review”, under the joint auspices of United Nations Pakistan and Planning & Development Department Government of Punjab, ended with a note of optimism as recommendations in this regard have been finalised. Attended by a large number of food and health experts, researchers, academicians and journalists, the seminar provided a platform to highlight the high levels of malnutrition in the country and also recommended the possible ways to improve the access to nutritious foods.
Unfortunately, around 2.2 million people in Punjab particularly children and women are facing the problem of malnutrition and stunting. Therefore, provision of clean drinking water and pure food to the people, promotion of breastfeeding among the mothers and adoption of healthy lifestyles is important if we really want to safeguard our future generations from this stunting trend. Since food fortification is a globally recognised strategy to address deficiencies of micro-nutrition hence, every effort should be made to improve the access to nutritious food.
Such conferences and seminars are need of the hour as they play a vital role in spreading awareness among the masses who usually do not have enough knowledge about such things. In this context, all praises are for the Punjab government for arranging such a wonderful and informative seminar. It is hoped that the government along with the civil society would play their part and organise such seminars on regular basis to address the problem of malnutrition in vulnerable societies like Pakistan.
Syed Ali Qasim
Lahore
