Social protection must reach most vulnerable families, say speakers
https://www.dawn.com/news/2027071
Two and a half billion individuals globally lack the means to lead a healthy life, according to speakers at a conference in Islamabad. The gathering, titled "Act For Nutrition: A Conference on Malnutrition and Stunted Growth in Pakistan," was organized by the Dawn Media Group. In the second session, focusing on "Global and Regional Current Realities," experts emphasized the need for social protection to reach the most vulnerable families, greater emphasis on gender equality, and the improvement of nutritional values.
Nora Hobbs, Asia Pacific Regional Nutrition Advisor at the World Food Programme, highlighted that 83% of malnourished children reside in developing nations. Stunting, she said, is an issue of inequality and affordability of food, particularly prevalent in countries like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. She proposed sharing regional knowledge among governments.
Dr Aminah Jahangir, Regional Lead at the Aga Khan Foundation, mentioned that their organization serves various regions, with success attributed to a system of accountability. However, she noted that climate change is making the situation more challenging.
Dr Srikanth Eadara of Scaling Up Nutrition pointed out that food prices are rising, and obesity is also on the increase. Dr Ravi Rannan-Eliya from Sri Lanka stated that a century ago, health-related issues were more common, but improvements came with increased literacy.
Dr Syed Abdul Hamid from Bangladesh reported positive trends in his country since the current administration took charge. Widya Buenastuti from Indonesia mentioned the country's 17,000 islands, highlighting efforts to bring health services closer to people's homes. Dr Irshad Danish, a Pakistani nutrition expert, emphasized the importance of primary healthcare workers, such as Lady Health Workers, who have significantly contributed to health improvements since their introduction in 1994.
However, he noted that their efforts suffered due to funding cuts and bans on new recruitments by provinces.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
