Immediate nutrition awareness intervention needed in Gilgit-Baltistan: Researcher

Islamabad: There’s an immediate need for launching an intervention focused on nutrition awareness in Gilgit-Batlistan. Children in Gilgit-Batlistan Children below 2 years of age in Gilgit-Batlistan have satisfactory protein intake, but  carbohydrates intake is below the WHO recommendations.  Similarly, children below 2 years of age in Gilgit-Batlistan intake lesser amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Dietary Fiber, compared to WHO recommendations.

This has been revealed in a research titled “Urban-Rural Infant and Young Child Feeding and Under Nutrition in Gilgit-Baltistan”, authored by Farida Naz, a student Public Health student at the Asian Women University, Bangladesh.

Farida, in her paper, has urged the “health professionals, health care centers, hospitals, NOGs, INGOs and government of Gilgit-Baltistan to take pragmatic actions to make common people aware about the importance of proper breastfeeding and nutrition of young children and infants in Gilgit_Baltistan.”

Appended below are details covered in the RESEARCH PAPER <<< Download

“Macronutrients are required in large amounts that provide the energy needed to maintain body functions and carry out the activities of daily life. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the main macro-nutrients. Table1 shows that macro-nutrients intake of infants less than 2 years old in Gilgit-Baltistan, which shows that protein intake by infant is satisfactory but carbohydrate intake is very less and fat intake is very high as compare to WHO recommendations.”

Micro-nutrients are needed by body in very tiny amount and they are necessary for the healthy functioning of every system in the body and are vital for good health. Lack of micro-nutrients causes severe health problems. According to WHO, “Iodine, vitamin A and iron are most important in global public health terms; their lack represents a major threat to the health and development of populations.”

The survey data shows that in Gilgit-Baltistan infants less than 2yrs of age have better supply of Calcium, Iron, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Zinc. However, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Dietary Fiber intake is less as compared to WHO’s recommendations and needs to be taken care in order to better growth of infants and young children.

Principle investigators for the study were Farah Naz and Bahar Bano, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Georgia S. Guldan & Dr. Jason Homer.