December 20, 2012

According to the National Nutrition Survey 2011, about 63 per cent of the country’s children under five have iron deficiency, says Dr Janjua. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:

An international not for profit organisation on Wednesday launched a multi-micronutrient powder project intended to address malnutrition among children.

The project is being implemented by the National Rural Support Program (NRSP) with financial and technical support by the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), a Canada-based NGO that works to “eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the world´s most vulnerable populations”, according to its website.

The statistics of malnutrition among children in Pakistan are “quite alarming” said Muhammad Ayub Nutrition Planning Commission senior chief.

According to the National Nutrition Survey 2011, about 63 per cent of the country’s children under five have iron deficiency, said Dr Tausif Janjua, MI country director, adding that it has negative impacts on the psychological, physical and cognitive development and behaviour of young children. Janjua said the multi-micronutrient powder supplement was a “well-proven” method of addressing child malnutrition, particular iron deficiency.

The Micronutrient Initiative hopes to target over 25,000 children between six months to two years of age through the project. A total of 3.15 million sachets of the powder have been procured and will be distributed free among children in Khushab and Rawlakot – the two districts where a pilot project is being run – through the NRSP, said Dr Khalid Nawaz the national programme manager for MI.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2012.