KARACHI: Ahead of the annual Protein Day to be observed on February 27, a dedicated awareness initiative called Right To Protein has announced ‘Easy Access to Protein for All’ as the theme for this year.

In its fourth year, the initiative’s theme aims to draw much-needed attention to the accessibility of food containing protein, encouraging citizens to learn more about protein and its importance vis-a-vis nutrition and health.

With a population of over one billion in South Asia, strategic and urgent steps are required to arrest food inflation and security in many parts of the region. The theme of ‘Easy Access to Protein for All’ aims to drive dialogues and highlight solutions for citizens to stay informed about accessible protein sources that can be included in daily diets and further the efforts to make ‘nutrition security’ a reality.

Dr Rabeea Iqbal, a consultant dietitian and nutritionist at R3 Stem Cell Pakistan, said: “Protein Day is celebrated every year on the 27th of February and is a global initiative aimed at promoting the importance of protein for health and wellness.

Food inflation in Pakistan reached an all-time high of 36% in October of 2022 which gives us (one) more reason to shift our focus towards trying to make protein-rich food options easily accessible which is also the theme for Protein Day 2023.

“Additionally, to bridge the nutrition and affordability gap, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, it is important that we initiate conversations around easy access to protein for all. To set in motion a concrete change at a national level, mass awareness around protein sufficiency and the importance of protein accessibility in this endeavour is a good place to begin.”

“With this year’s theme for Protein Day, we encourage everyone to participate in dialogues, events and activities that help spread awareness of the many protein food sources accessible in South Asian countries. We firmly believe that we all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens are more cognizant of their individual protein requirements and the many protein food sources available. We also wish to stimulate conversations around adding sustainable protein options to our diets, to collectively work towards the goal of nutrition security for all,” added Deeba Giannoulisof the US Soybean Export Council, a supporter of the Right To Protein initiative.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023