Experts Call for Urgent Action on Malnutrition, Anemia

News Desk

Muzaffarabad: Speakers at a two-day capacity building workshop on Public Finance for Nutrition and Early Childhood Development highlighted significant challenges including anemia among women and malnutrition among children. 

These issues, driven by substandard food and poverty, were noted as urgent concerns requiring immediate action, even though they may not be as severe as in other regions of Pakistan.

 The workshop was organized by the SUN Secretariat and Planning and Development Department (P&DD) on August 12-13, 2024, at the Kashmir Institute of Management (KIM).

“Let us remain dedicated to building a robust financial management system, promoting transparency and accountability, and fostering partnerships that support sustainable nutrition interventions in AJK,” said Dr Saba Shuja, ECD Manager at UNICEF.

The workshop was chaired by Secretary P&DD Amir Latif and Senior Chief SUN Focal Person Mehreen Gillani. Notable attendees included DG Health Dr. Farooq Ahmad Noor, Dean of Allied Health Sciences Dr Bashir Kantt, Donor Coordinator PM Secretariat Asma Andarabi, and representatives from various departments such as health, education, women’s development, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and WASH, as well as the World Food Programme (WFP), research academia, civil society, and media.

The workshop’s main objectives were to allocate resources for nutrition, track investment and expenditure of public funds in nutrition, and optimize nutrition markers. Dr. Farooq Ahmad Noor emphasized the necessity of a united effort to combat stunting and malnutrition, stressing that collective action is essential to effectively address these pressing challenges.

Participants praised the workshop as highly comprehensive and informative. They highlighted that while not all government departments have a direct role in nutrition, each can contribute indirectly.