Rawalpindi: (Parliament Times) Additional Deputy Commissioner (Headquarter) Saima Younis said that a good nutrition is inevitable to support the rapid growth and development of babies. She said health of child is our prime focus as it is basis of a health society which is the need of hour for a well-being nourished nation with sound human resource that effectively contributes to national prosperity and advancement. However we are facing acute malnutrition issues both in mother as well as children also in pregnant women. In order to cope with the malnutrition issue, this program initiated by Punjab Government is applaud-able which will help not only to identify the children and mother with these deficiencies but will also provide supplements to make them healthy and fit. ADC (HQ) further included that production as well as consumption of fortified edible oil/ghee and flour are encouraged as fortified edible oil/ghee is enriched with Vitamin A & D and fortified wheat is supplemented with iron, folic and Zinc which are basic components of health and will surely improve our physical as well as mental wellbeing.
She expressed these views while chairing the meeting of District Malnutrition Addressing Committee at Deputy Commissioner Office. District Coordinator Dr. Uzma Hayat, DDEO Masood Ahmed, Dr. Sameena Rasheed Population welfare, Inspector Shafiq Ahmed, Dr. Sajida Akhter DD Livestock, Dr. Hummaira Health System Analyst, representatives of Food Fortification Program and other concerned officials were also present at the meeting.
Dr Uzma Hayat while briefing the meeting about the progress so far said that screening has been done to identify malnourished children and mothers from different sites covering both rural and urban areas. Up till now, 2002 children and 1355 pregnant women had been screened and 39370 children are provided with multi micronutrient sachet. It is our target to reduce prevalence of stunting from 33.5% to 30%, wasting from 17.5% to 14% also increase exclusive breast feeding for children under 06 months of age from 16.8% to 25% and early initiation of breast feeding from 10.6% to 16%, she shared. Dr. Uzma further added that along-with all these initiatives most important thing is to raise awareness among masses to increase the consumption of fortified oil and flour as their demand will ultimately compel Mill associations to escalate production of fortified items.