Punjab Minister for Health Khawaja Imran Nazir has said that dangers for malnutrition in children are all too serious and the government would make every possible effort to reduce the rate of stunting occurring among children in Punjab. He stated this while addressing a seminar held for sensitizing 'District Malnutrition Addressing Committees' jointly organised by Punjab Planning and Development Department, Policy Strategic Planning Unit (PSPU) and UNICEF Pakistan at a local club.
Addressing the participants, Nazir appreciated the efforts of PP&DD, PSPU and UNICEF for taking the initiative to bring nutrition to the forefront of the development agenda. He reiterated that the Punjab government was co-ordinating the effort to implement the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy (MSNS) in the province to address the issue of stunted growth in children.
The district malnutrition addressing committees (DMACs) had been constituted for all districts. The purpose of this sensitization meeting was to apprise stakeholders of the mandate of DMAC and its responsibility in implementing the government's multi-sectoral strategy to address the issue of malnutrition, he added.
At the seminar, Dr Shabana Haider, Member Health P&D, emphasised on a coordinated effort on the part of all government departments at all levels for addressing this critical human development issue facing the province. She said it was imperative for the DCOs, EDOs and other sectoral focal persons to ensure that the multi-sectoral nutrition strategy was implemented in spirit and that the monthly progress reports were shared with the provincial nutrition steering committee, the body overseeing the implementation of the strategy.