KARACHI, Jan 8: A slightly deficient diet which is largely vegetarian leads to a decrease in strokes, Alzheimer's disease, heart attacks, cancers and diabetes.

This was stated by Dean of Biological Sciences at the Baqai Medical University, Dr Peter Baillie, during the inaugural session of a seminar on "Nutrition; From Womb to Tomb", which was held here on Thursday.

The day-long moot was organized by the British Council Pakistan, in collaboration with the Baqai Medical University, Karachi, and Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom, under a higher educational link between the two universities. The link is funded by the British Government's Department for International Development (DFID).

Mr Baillie said the objective of the seminar was to propose the "Womb to Tomb" study on nutrition, to be carried out at the Baqai Medical University under its linkage with Oxford Brookes University. He stated that nutritional deficiency had a deep impact on the poor and that everyone should work together towards improving the situation.

British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, David Pearey, who was the chief guest at the session, stated that the subject of nutrition had international importance. He said there were people in every part of the world who suffered from undernourishment in one sense or the other.

Farida Ben Ghorab of the Oxford Brookes University, UK, said the next activity under the link programme with Baqai University will be a visit to Pakistan by a team from her institution later this month. The British visitors will be exploring the potential areas of cooperation in nutrition, including a programme on "BSc in Nutrition".

In his welcome address the Director of the British Council Karachi, Charlie Walker, said the seminar concentrated on an area of critical importance to Pakistan's development and wellbeing. Dr Fariduddin Baqai and Begum Zahida Baqai also expressed their views on the occasion. - APP