More than 40 per cent of children and women in Pakistan are grappling with malnutrition, highlighting persistent shortcomings in the country’s efforts to tackle poverty, food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairperson Prof. Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan has stressed the need to bring universities, research organisations and international development partners together to address the worsening nutritional challenges.
Speaking at the concluding session of a two-day international conference at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), he said increasing agricultural production alone could not resolve Pakistan’s malnutrition problem.
The conference was organised by the Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC) under the theme ‘Advancing Nutrition through Partnerships & Policy’ at the Centre for Advanced Studies.
Prof. Iqrar highlighted that the PKNC initially concentrated on agricultural output, supply-side measures and the One Health approach. However, the scale of malnutrition made it evident that food production needed to be complemented by targeted nutritional interventions.
He said the centre later expanded its vision to include nutrition while building capacity, minimising food wastage and developing practical solutions to address broader societal problems.
The Dean of UAF’s Faculty of Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences, Prof. Dr Imran Pasha, called for a unified national framework involving federal and provincial governments, academic institutions, research bodies and international partners.
He also proposed establishing a Centre of Excellence in Nutrition at UAF to advance research, policymaking and institutional coordination.
Dr Imran further emphasised the importance of monitoring food environments to generate evidence for healthier food policies, particularly in places that shape children’s dietary habits, as cited by The Express Tribune.
He advocated a life-course approach that integrates child and community nutrition with preventive measures against non-communicable diseases.
