Every year more than 177,000 Pakistani children die before the age of five due to malnutrition, according to the country’s minister for national food security and research.

Micro-nutrient deficiencies are widespread in Pakistan and have profound effects on immunity, growth and mental development of children, Syed Fakhar Imam, Pakistan’s minister for national food and research said while addressing a gathering. 

More than 50 million people in Pakistan had inadequate zinc intake which was an important micronutrient for our health, he added.

Imam made these remarks while addressing participants of a workshop titled ‘Addressing Zinc Deficiency through Biofortification of Zinc Wheat’ on Wednesday. The workshop was jointly organized by HarvestPlus, Pakistan National Heart Association (Panah) and National Fortification Alliance at the Ministry of National Health Services. It was attended by representatives from various government departments, civil society organizations and UN agencies, Dawn was quoted by UNI news agency as saying.

“In Pakistan, with the collaborative support of HarvestPlus, three biofortified wheat varieties which are high in zinc have been released for general cultivation in the country,” Imam said, adding that “with our joint efforts, biofortified zinc wheat varieties have been cultivated on 360,000 hectares this year”.

“Biofortification is progressing well in Pakistan and has great potential to help reduce zinc deficiency and stunting in the children of our country,” he added.

Wheat constituted 60 per cent of the diet of the common population and biofortification of wheat was the most suitable and sustainable strategy to address the zinc deficiency, Dr Imtiaz Hussain, director of Crop Science Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, said.

Malnutrition and dietary factors contribute towards increased morbidity and mortality, Sanaullah Ghumman, general secretary of Panah, said. (SAM)