Guiding Policy and Investment in Human Nutrition in Four Provinces of Pakistan (Anglais)

Female and childhood malnutrition rates in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are among the highest in the world. The effects of malnutrition are generally divided into stunting, which refers to height deficit by age, wasting, which refers to weight deficit...  Voir la suite Female and childhood malnutrition rates in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are among the highest in the world. The effects of malnutrition are generally divided into stunting, which refers to height deficit by age, wasting, which refers to weight deficit by height, and underweight, which refers to weight deficit by age. The persistently high burden of malnutrition in Pakistan and generally low level of investment in interventions to address the issue were documented in a series of articles in the British medical journal the Lancet following severe flooding in 2010 and 2011 that exposed the extent of the problem. The World Bank responded to the series by initiating dialogues with the Government of Pakistan and other partners concerning systematic surveys of nutrition outcomes. While a country-wide Pakistan national nutrition survey was carried out in 2011, the four provincial governments of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh undertook their own reviews to guide public policy directed at improved nutrition in the years that followed, and to inform provincial strategies for program development and investment. These included assessments of prevailing rates of stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight people, and micronutrient deficiencies, focusing on particularly debilitating ones such as vitamin A, iron (anemia), and iodine. This focus on the most practical aspects of food and nutrition security reflects the priorities and objectives of the South Asia food and nutrition security initiative (SAFANSI), which actively supported the research undertaken by the planning and development departments of the four provinces.  Réduire