KARACHI: Over 150,000 cases of watery diarrhoea being reported every week across Pakistan as children facing micronutrient deficiencies.
Micronutrient deficiencies, especially deficiency of Zinc has emerged as a major contributor to growing diarrhoea cases in Pakistan following devastating floods in Sindh and Balochistan where over half a million cases of water-borne diseases are being reported every month, resulting in hundreds of deaths, officials and experts said.
Despite being an agricultural country, malnutrition is rampant among women, children, and adolescents. Stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies have profound effects on the immunity, growth, and mental development of children. As per a study by the World Food Program in 2017, malnutrition costs Pakistan USD 7.6 billion every year, which is 3% of the GDP. Zinc deficiency is among the key factors contributing to severe malnutrition in Pakistan.
According to Prof Jamal Raza, Executive Director of Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) Karachi, Zinc deficiency results in a weak immune system, especially among children. Nearly one out of every five children under five have inadequate intake of zinc in their diet.
According to National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, around 150,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea are being reported every week in Pakistan following 2022 floods in Sindh and Balochistan and most of them are among children between the ages of 6-59 months.
“Zinc is important for immune function and our ability to fight infections, particularly pneumonia and diarrhoea and Zinc deficiency is common among children from low-income countries”, Prof Jamal Raza added.
Symptoms of a zinc deficiency include a weakened immune system which often results in recurrent infections, impaired wound healing, infertility, and stunting in children. Some studies suggest an association between low levels of zinc intake and the risk of developing Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults.
In Pakistan, wheat is an important staple crop. Biofortification of wheat is a viable and economical method to reduce zinc deficiencies and improve the bioavailable zinc in wheat grains. In Pakistan, the agronomic biofortification approach has been successful in improving the grain zinc concentration, crop productivity, and profitability,” said Prof Imran Pasha, Director General, National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
According to Dr Yaqub Mujahid, Country Manager at Harvest-Plus Pakistan, a large population of Pakistan is living under the poverty line. Poverty and malnutrition have a strong nexus especially affecting women and children in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. “Building on our existing success we are now expanding the reach of nutritious crops to underprivileged populations, especially women and children”, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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