Stakeholders Demand Mandatory Provision For Fortified Wheat Flour In Karachi And Hyderabad.

Sindh faced with chronic issue of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among its children and women is in urgent need to ensure mandatory availability of fortified wheat floor and its bi-products across the province.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jan, 2019 ) :Sindh faced with chronic issue of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among its children and women is in urgent need to ensure mandatory availability of fortified wheat floor and its bi-products across the province.

Healthcare providers, academicians, representative of local industrialists and provincial government authorities addressing a ceremony to launch food fortification program in six districts of Karachi here on Tuesday registered with concern that the problem was not restricted to rural or remote areas but also effected urban peripheries.

Stakeholders during the event jointly organized by Thardeep Rural Development Programme, Food Fortification Program and UK aid appreciated that mandatory availability of fortified ghee and edible oil in the province had been already ensured through proper legislation.

It was mentioned on the occasion that micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition among the people of the country caused three percent loss to the national GDP as it compromised intellectual and physical health of the sufferers.

Health Secretary, Dr. Usman Chachar acknowledging that the issue can not be ignored said the challenge is not any country or province specific as according to recent reports 45% under five death are due to malnutrition worldwide.

"In our particular context non availability of two square meals for many is a major challenge," he said emphasizing that equal attention has to be paid towards curative and preventive interventions that too on sustainable basis.

Dr. Chachar appreciated that the concept of fortification was result oriented as it encompassed staple diet of the masses, that is flour and ghee/oil in local context.

He called upon the regulators, producers and processors of the two goods to realize their responsibility towards mothers and children emphasizing that media has to play its role in creating public demand for the fortified food while researchers and academicians need to focus on studies that are objective and not merely subjective so as to assist policy makers and implementors of the program achieve the real target of healthy nation.

Dr. Allah Nawaz Samoo, CEO -THARDEEP sought concerted efforts to sensitize people about importance of fortified flour, its bi-products along with that of ghee with equal attention to ensure that regular and steady supply of these products are easily accessible to the masses.

Munawwar Hussain, National Program Manager for Food Fortification Program in his elaborate presentation referred to National Nutrition Survey showing 51% of women to be anaemic, 37% faced with iron deficiency, 46% with Vitamin A deficiency and 69% with Vitamin D deficiency.

Presenting a comparison of statistics collected in 2001 - 2002 and 2011, he said a deterioration was registered in the health status of the women and infants.

The deterioration was quite stark in particular context of Sindh, he said mentioning that a comprehensive approach is being adopted to address the challenge of malnutrition through food fortification, dietary diversification and supplementation.

Food fortification was said to be most efficient and effective intervention with early impact on the well being of target groups.

FFP official also discussed cost benefit analysis of the fortification program mentioning that despite being value added it would not cost more than usual to the end users.

Dr. Abid Jalal uddin Shah, Sindh Program Manager for Edible Oil/Ghee fortification program said six cluster laboratories for testing the fortification levels of the two products have established in Karachi and Hyderabad.

This was said to be done in close collaboration with concerned proprietors of the oil and ghee processing units.

Prof. Dr. Sulaiman Shaikh of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Junaid Ismail Makda, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Director General of Trade Development and Promotion Authority (TDAP), Muhammad Karim Memon and others sounded confident that the five year (2018-2023) Food Fortification Program launched in the province in January last year would achieve its objective through close coordination among relevant stakeholders.