Programme areas
Nutrition and Food Safety
Hunger and malnutrition remain two of the most devastating problems being faced by developing countries today. One out of every five persons in the developing world is chronically undernourished. In addition to malnutrition, other nutritional disorders such as micronutrient deficiency, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases exist and are emerging as major public health problems.
The Government of Pakistan is committed to improve the nutritional status of the population and reduce the percentage of the population suffering from malnutrition especially CBA women, infants and children. The GoP has enacted laws to encourage breast feeding and prohibit promotion of infant formula preparations. The Government of Pakistan is keen to improve the present situation of food quality through prevention of food adulteration in the country.
WHO played a strong collaborative role in providing technical support to nutrition wing of Ministry of Health. Poor childhood feeding and weaning practices, lack of exclusive breast feeding, the rising trends of formula feeding, poor feeding during diarrhea and other childhood illnesses including food taboos, are the main factors responsible for the high prevalence of malnutrition.
The existing infrastructure for food quality systems needs improvement in order to meet the present challenges, which needs an effective system of modern analytical technology with both the sophisticated and simple methods being followed elsewhere. This requires human resource development. Despite rapid advances in modern technology, producing safe food and retaining its safety remains a worldwide public health problem, to which Pakistan is not an exception.
Nevertheless, increased production and consumption of fast foods are a manifestation of changing cultures.
Objectives
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Combating malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and other nutritional disorders
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Ensuring food quality and safety.