LAHORE, Feb 3: Infants are particularly at risk of worst malnutrition in flood-affected districts of Punjab and malnourished children are likely to be from families of the poorest quintile, living in temporary or kacha houses, and those who have bank liability. This was revealed by speakers at the launching ceremony of Nutrition Survey Report on flood-affected areas of Punjab held under the auspices of the Punjab Planning and Development Department at a local club on Thursday.

According to the report, poor sanitation, unhygienic practices and lack of access to services are aggregating factors in malnutrition.

The global malnutrition rate among children under five in flood-hit areas is 13.9 per cent while the rate of acute malnutrition — associated with highest rates of morbidity is 3.5 per cent. More than 60 per cent households are living in 'kacha' (houses with mud or thatched wall) while the rest is in cemented structures.

The report says efforts should be made to reduce the high rate of chronic malnutrition and to improve the knowledge of the communities about the Infant Young Child Feeding (IYCF).

Results of the survey, conducted in November 2010 by P&D's Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with Unicef and Action Contre la Faim Canada (ACF-Canada), were shared with stakeholders at the ceremony attended by secretaries of the social sector departments, programme managers of various PMUs, DCOs of nine districts and representatives of donor agencies and NGOs. The academia was represented by KEMU, FJMC, LUMS, LSE and Punjab University.

A blueprint of the response plan prepared by the provincial health department for the flood-affected communities was also shared in which it was pointed out that since the onset of the floods in Punjab, the government in collaboration with Unicef and the nutrition cluster had screened more than 211,000 children for malnutrition in flooded areas.

Nearly 34,000 children under five have received treatment; 190 therapeutic feeding centres have been established and 17,718 malnourished pregnant and lactating women identified.

P&B Board chief economist Dr Rizwan Taqi, while quoting the report, said a majority of people were taking cereals, wheat, oil and sugar for more than 5-6 days a week but the consumption of meat, fruits and vegetables was extremely low.

Obtaining a loan with interest and the geographical areas were among the main underlying causes of malnutrition in the study area, he added.

He stressed the need for making nutrition inventions on a priority basis.

P&D secretary Ali Tahir said the aim of survey was to assess the nutritional status of children from six months to six years, pregnant and lactating women.

Punjab Bureau of Statistics director-general Shamim Rafiq said flooded areas were divided into two categories - one for moderately affected areas and the other severely hit, adding that as many as 1,200 households were surveyed in nine districts.

He spoke about the procedure for the selection of sample which was done using Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) software.

Unicef representative from Sri Lanka Dr SM Moazzam said the fund provided necessary facilitation and technical assistance for conducting similar surveys in other flood-affected areas of Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. He said results of the Sindh survey were released last week.