School Meals Increase Enrolment By 9%: Report

Wraa Noor

Islamabad: School meals alone increase enrolment and attendance rates by nine per cent and eight per cent, respectively. In areas where anaemia and infections are common, deworming and micronutrient supplements can keep kids in school for an additional 2.5 years.

A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report revealed that students are 50 per cent less likely to skip school when the learning environment is free from violence.

Absenteeism is decreased in low-income countries when handwashing is encouraged; water, sanitation and hygiene are improved, especially for girls during menstruation.

In addition to school meals, the report highlights the significance of promoting eye care, mental health and well-being of children, and prevention school violence.

Such measures can result in a significant return on investment for countries and have a positive impact not just on children and adolescents, but on their homes and communities as well.

Importance of Family Dinner

Nutritionist Roomaisa said that young children require more energy than adults because their bodies require more energy for proper growth and development. The twenties are especially important because the body is emotionally, mentally, and socially stressed due to papers, studies, and career goals which may affect their health and cause eating disorders.

She told that ingredients that should be included for young children are meat, eggs, fish, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, whole grains, and beans; and things that should be done away with are fast food, spices, and oily food. Because many studies show that fast food is the biggest reason for the change in behaviour of growing children, they become more aggressive and have fewer values.

Another important aspect of raising a healthy child is to have a family dinner or lunch at least once a day so that we can exchange ideas, which reduces stress and emotional damage in children and helps them perform better in social situations, stated Roomaisa.

Implications of Poor Diet

PIMS Child Specialist Dr Traiq said that the first two years of a child’s development, especially their mental health, are very important, as a child’s mental growth starts at this age, so they require all the essential micronutrients, macronutrients and iron.

He stated that since parents rely on cow milk, packet or powdered milk, or if a mother is feeding her toddler, the milk is deficient in iron, vitamin D, and micro- and macronutrients. As a result, Pakistani kids are underweight and have stunted growth and short stature. They are not fully mentally developed and are quickly exhausted due to an iron and vitamin D deficiency.

Dr Tariq mentioned that kids eat non-nutritious foods like fast food and junk food rather than home-cooked meals, so they develop unhealthy eating habits. The unhygienic and unhealthy food results in children becoming obese as well.

The poor diet leads to a weak immune system, so they easily get viral infections and infectious diseases. Pakistan is among the countries where viral infections and diseases are prevalent. The nutritional deficiency among children results in iron deficiency anaemia and lower mental and intellectual development, added Child Specialist.

The latest survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that over 40 per cent of children aged five and below in Pakistan are stunted whereas 2.5 million children are “severely wasted” – acutely malnourished.