Nestlé, the world's leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness (NHW) Company, launched the pilot of its Healthy Women programme Wednesday at the Forman Christian (FC) College, Lahore. During the three-month program, 100 female students of FC College between the ages of 19 to 24 will be taught about their nutritional needs and how they can address them.
Pakistan falls among countries with the highest burden of malnutrition. A World Bank report states that Pakistan is annually losing USD 3 billion in GDP to mineral and vitamin deficiencies. According to National Nutrition Survey 2011, around 60 per cent of Pakistan's total population is food insecure and among these, almost 50 per cent of women and children are malnourished. The study found that 50.5 per cent of non-pregnant women in Pakistan have anaemia and more than a quarter is iron deficient.
Healthy Women is an interactive and multi level program. On Wednesday in the program's first stage Nutrition Awareness, the students who registered for the program were taken through a presentation explaining the importance of nutrition and its impact on their lives. This will be followed by Assessment Level I. Top 20 students will enter the Cook & Learn stage. After Assessment Level II, top 5 students will qualify for summer internship at Nestlé.
According to Dr Huma Fahim, Nestlé Pakistan's Medical Advisor, "Nutrition is crucial to both individual and national development. The program's key message is that Healthy Women are essential for a Healthy Nation. What women eat can impact the physical and mental capabilities of the future generation. Research has shown that the first 1,000 days of a child's life (from conception to the baby's second year) are critically important. Malnutrition during this period can leave a child stunted forever and may irreversibly affect his/her mental and physical capabilities."
F.C.C. Rector Dr James A. Tebbe, endorsing the program, said he was "very excited" that F. C. College is the first University to partner with Nestlé for the Healthy Women program. "Good health is a result of making healthy choices," read the statement. Dr Tebbe said the program was an opportunity for the students to learn how they can address nutritional deficiencies and also to learn new professional skills.
"Healthy Women program is a first not just for Pakistan but also for Nestlé," says Waqar Ahmad, who is the Head of Corporate Affairs for Nestlé Pakistan and Afghanistan. "The Company hopes to partner with other universities in Pakistan after a successful pilot phase," he says.