TAXILA: A week-long celebration of the significance of nutrition was launched by the Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn, Child Health (IRMNCH) and Nutrition Programme in collaboration with Primary and Secondary Health Care Department in Attock on Sunday.

In the first leg of the celebrations, an awareness seminar and walk was organised at a public health nursing school which was attended by a large number of doctors, nurses, nutrition supervisors, paramedical staff, lady health workers, lady health supervisors and officials of health and nutrition department.

Addressing as chief guest, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said malnutrition issues related to food safety and food security are big challenges for the development of the country.

“World Health Assembly has endorsed global targets and committed to reduce stunting by 40pc in children under five between 2010 and 2025, so we must look forward to achieving the goals set by the international community,” he said.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said the Punjab government was fully committed to extending effective structural and result-oriented preventive health cover to the far-flung rural areas.

He said about 155,000 children aged six months to two years, 150,000 children aged two to five years, 114,000 adolescent girls, 82,000 pregnant women, 16,000 lactating women and 50,000 family planning eligible couples would be provided nutritional medicine across the district during the week.

Dr Saeed Akhtar, IRMNCH’s district coordinator, all the nutrition week activities would be conducted at the district, tehsil, health facility and community level.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2022