It has been globally recognised that investment in combating malnutrition gives most beneficial returns with lasting effects on socio-economic development of marginalized sections of society, and use of Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology will help in improved monitoring of Universal Salt Iodization Programme (USIP), reducing travel and trends analysis cost.
These views were expressed by speakers at the launching ceremony of Geographic Information System for Salt Sector of Pakistan (GIS), organised by the Nutrition Department of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) Pakistan here on Tuesday.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Mir Changez Khan Jamali said that sustainable socio-economic development could be achieved through human resource development, and government is committed to improve its world health ranking and will support all such initiatives.
Minister said that government is working to ensure easy and speedy access to information by involving private and international organisations as equal stakeholders. GIS is indeed an example of successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) in development of technological infrastructure.
Changez Khan Jamali said that GIS for salt sector will help in ensuring the implementation of preventive health programmes along with curative initiatives in most cost-effective and co-ordinated manner. The successful implementation of GIS initiative for salt sector would help in replicating the technology to other sectors, he maintained.
Dr Asad Hafeez, Federal Director General Health shed light on the importance of iodized salt use in sustainable elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs) and malnutrition among children and women.
Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, DDG Nutrition Wing Ministry of Health, said that the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) has provided its technical and financial support in development and implementation of GIS in the field. He said that under this project an easy to access interactive digital map covering all provinces of Pakistan and AJK has been developed. This baseline data would show the geographic location, contact details and production of adequately iodized salt of 1353 Salt Processors.
M.G Vankatesh Manner President MI informed that the MI has focused on developing and delivering low-cost and effective solutions for vitamin and mineral deficiencies and has grown into the world's leading organization focused exclusively on the elimination of micronutrient malnutrition from the world's most vulnerable populations.