Malnutrition a major problem of public health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata: survey

National Nutrition Survey conducted by the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata has identified malnutrition as major problem of the public health. The survey was conducted during the period of February to July 2011 was launched by the Secretary Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Munir Azam here on Tuesday.
Director General, Health Services, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Sharif Ahmad Khan, representatives of Unicef were also present on the occasion. The National Nutrition Survey 2011 was conducted by the Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the financial assistance of DFID and Australian aid.
The key finding of the National Nutrition Survey in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the level of chronic malnutrition that has increased from 43 percent to about 48 percent during last 10 years while in Fata 58 percent of children are chronically malnourished. Levels of chronic malnutrition in both areas are above the national level of chronic malnutrition (44 percent). These figures point to a significant issue for almost every second child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata region.
The rate of acute malnutrition (wasting) is almost 17 percent, which is above the critical level of 15 percent. If children remain malnourished, they are at higher risk of mortality and are more susceptible to disease, as well as life-long stunting and cognitive impairment. There are gains in iodine deficiency, but anaemia and other deficiencies, including vitamin A remain unchanged since last survey of 2001. For the first time, this survey provides evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a major public health problem in Pakistan.
The Secretary Health said that the provincial government is taking the results of the new survey very seriously and calls for an urgent need to accelerate efforts throughout all the areas in close co-ordination with Unicef and other development partners to reduce malnutrition amongst vulnerable children as well as pregnant and lactating women.
He said that malnutrition increases dramatically and kills most rapidly, in emergencies most children do not die due to conflicts or natural disasters themselves, but rather to resulting food shortages, lack of safe water, inadequate healthcare and poor sanitation and hygiene.
The survey found that an average, almost 32 percent of households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 42 percent in Fata were food-insecure, meaning they lacked access to adequate food. Almost one third of children across the province were underweight, with the situation worse for children in rural areas.
"There is no doubt that factors such as frequent and sustained emergencies of massive displacement and floods of 2010 and food insecurity have contributed to the situation we are witnessing today," said Dr Sharif Ahmad Khan, Director General, Health Services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. The survey findings will feed into effective planning around nutrition needs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and help with monitoring progress towards targets to help our most vulnerable children and women. "Malnutrition is treatable and much is already being done in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, in response to the recent emergencies to combat the needless suffering of children, but more concerted and sustained efforts are required," Dr Sharif Ahmad Khan added.
Proper nutrition is a powerful good, people, who are well nourish are more likely to be healthy, productive and able to learn. Good nutrition benefits families, their communities and they world as a whole while on the other hand malnutrition is devastating and contributes to more than a third of all child deaths in developing countries.
The National Nutrition Survey is the largest of its type to have been conducted in Pakistan on maternal and child nutrition, and has a great relevance to post devolution planning. The survey assessed the situation of 30,000 households in all provinces of Pakistan and updates nutrition-related figures published in 2001.
The survey 2011 covers all provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. It received significant financial support from DFID and Aus/AID, and technical support from UNICEF, the Agha Khan University, Health Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata and the nutrition wing of the government of Pakistan.