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Pakistan has
alarmingly high rates of malnutrition that particularly affects
women and children. Malnutrition leads to morbidity with repeated
infections and an increase in mortality. Almost 54% of young children
deaths in the developing world are due to malnutrition. Although
the special nutritional needs for women during their reproductive
age, especially during pregnancy and lactation, are well recognized,
it is precisely such women who are malnourished in Pakistan, with
strikingly high rates of anemia and wasting. There is thus a critical
need for a concerted and well-designed intervention programme targeting
these high-risk groups. Neither widespread malnutrition nor poor
dietary practices amongst women and children have been subjects
of national awareness campaigns or public education. In addition
to a well-designed intervention programme, a significant mass public
awareness campaign is urgently needed.
To address these
pressing issues, a symposium titled 'National Nutrition Strategy:
Planning for the Future' is being organized at Aga Khan University
on December 19-22, 2003, under the auspices of the Ministry of Health
(MOH) (Nutrition Section) in collaboration with UNICEF and MI (Micronutrient
Initiative). This symposium will follow up on a Nutrition strategy
initiative that was first undertaken by the Ministry of Health,
Government of Pakistan, under the auspices of the Nutrition Cell
Planning and Development Division, Government of Pakistan, at Bhurban,
in May 2001.
Major General
(Retd.) Mohammad Aslam, Director General Health, Government of Pakistan,
will be the chief guest at this Symposium, which invites speakers
from both within Pakistan and internationally as well. The symposium
aims at consultation between key national and provincial opinion
leaders so that concrete recommendations and action plans can be
devised to help formulate ways to move forward in addressing these
priority issues of malnutrition in Pakistan. Problems to be reviewed
at this meeting include malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia and
micronutrient deficiencies in the population. The meeting will provide
an important opportunity to address key nutritional issues in Pakistan
and will serve to bring together national and provincial policy
makers, health agencies and national and international experts in
malnutrition. It will provide a much needed opportunity for working
groups to brainstorm current issues with malnutrition and to come
up with feasible and concrete proposals for implementation within
the next five years.
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