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According to a recent shocking report by UNICEF, nearly four of ten children under the age of five are stunted in Pakistan. This revelation should send shockwaves across the nation and among lawmakers but the most crucial issue is being neglected due to vested political interests.
The National Nutrition Survey found 20% percent of children are also suffering from wasting (low height for weight), while 12.7% of children have a functional disability in one of these six domains: seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, self-care and communication. The report also found that one in every eight adolescent girls and one in every five adolescent boys are underweight, while more than half of children suffer from anaemia.
Not just children but even women of reproductive age share the burden of malnutrition and 14% of them are undernourished. While on the other hand, overweight and obesity level is increasing in urban women, showing the imbalance in our society. Women and children are far below the acceptable level of nutrition; this alarming situation requires urgent attention.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had highlighted the grave issue in his first address to the nation but we need actionable plans for food security and ending malnutrition. These findings are a wake-up call as malnutrition not only affects children but also young girls and pregnant women. This issue needs higher attention and funds as it stops children from reaching their full potential in life.
It is also essential to ensure adequate malnutrition for all as it leads to higher mortality. With 12 million children with a low height or weight, stunting is a major problem in Pakistan. Wasting has nearly doubled in the past two decades and we live in a state of nutrition emergency. Shockingly, the province of Sindh has the highest number of underweight children at 41.3%.
Child stunting may be the priority of the government but more serious efforts. The first meeting of the National Nutrition Coordination Council was held this month only which revealed that no plan has been implemented in the past ten years to meet the nutritional needs of children and women, leading to the high of stunting.
Rather than squabbling on political issues, the government needs to focus on this health crisis as the physical and mental growth of children is being affected as it is the responsibility of the state to provide adequate facilities and feed them.
