Coordinated efforts essential to improve status of nutrition in Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit: (PR) Comprehensive and coordinated efforts among all the departments of government are essential to improve the status of nutrition in GB population. This was stressed at an advocacy session held by Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) unit of Planning & Development Department (P&DD), GB for parliamentarians at a local hotel on Friday.

Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Mr. Haji Fida Mohammad Nashad presided at the meeting and appreciated the efforts of P&DD in collaboration with UNICEF in scaling up nutrition at regional level. He agreed that there was an urgent need to take strategic steps to improve status of nutrition in the general public.

GBLA members in attendance expressed their satisfaction that all the respective line departments had strengthened coordination and planned nutrition sensitive interventions in most areas affected by malnutrition as per MIC Survey conducted early in 2017.

Secretary P&DD Mr. Babar Aman Babar briefed the legislative assembly members about program activities over the last one year. He said that health, nutrition and population policies play a pivotal role in economic and human development and poverty alleviation. He added that after launching of SUN movement in Gilgit-Baltistan, P&DD had developed a comprehensive inter-sectoral nutrition strategy compatible with national nutrition policy.

Program Consultant SUN Dr Nadir Shah updated the guests about the progress up of SUN unit, GB and shared some immediate strategies to overcome the long standing menace of malnutrition in GB. He emphasized the role of parliamentarians in advocacy in the promotion of better nutrition through institutionalization, sensitization, supporting nutrition friendly legislation, budget negotiation, and information dissemination.

Secretary P&DD ensured continuation of full support in planning, implementing all nutrition friendly interventions in GB in collaboration with UNICEF in order to overcome the long standing malnutrition in most vulnerable segments of society. Members of the legislative assembly also pledged to play their due roles in facilitating the activities aimed at improving nutrition.