Multi-sectoral Gathering Led by SHRC and NARI Foundation: Urgency for Collective Efforts to Alleviate Malnutrition in Sindh
SINDH REVOlUTIONIZES MALNUTRITION FIGHT: A passionate cry for unified, cross-department cooperation to eradicate malnutrition boomed through the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and NARI Foundation's joint nutrition consultative seminar in the heart of Karachi. Government officials, legislators, experts, and civil society members gathered to brainstorm a more synchronized, rights-focused approach to safeguarding food and nutritional security across Sindh.
Iqbal Detho, SHRC’s chairperson, ignited the conference by emphasizing the commission's growing role championing food and nutrition as fundamental human rights. He stressed the urgent necessity of multi-department camaraderie, policy consistency, and strong community leadership. To achieve this, responsible district-level programs must prioritize nutrition, seamlessly integrated into their planning processes.
Detho unveiled SHRC's upcoming pilot of the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023. Setting course from Sukkur, the initiative will pave the way for growth and adaptation. Sodha, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Human Rights, backed the multi-departmental, nutrition-centered strategies proposed by stakeholders.
Marveling at SHRC's revolutionary approach to rights, including the intertwining of nutrition, legal entitlements, and corporate responsibility, Sodha pledged his commitment to convey the consultation’s core recommendations to the Chief Minister for essential policy action and sustained institutional support.
"Access to nourishment is our constitutional obligation. Malnutrition’s persistence in zones like Tharparkar demands immediate, focused attention," Sodha asserted.
The technical sessions rippled with lively discussions among panelists from diverse sectors, including health, education, agriculture, social welfare, women development, and human rights. Emphasizing systemic obstacles and missed opportunities, speakers delved into crucial gaps like underfunding, ambiguity in the Food Fortification Act 2021, and the weak execution of legal frameworks.
Kashif Siddiqui, public health expert, laid bare these glaring issues. He commended existing initiatives such as the Mumtaz Program under Social Protection, while urging for increased budget allocation, inter-department collaboration, and the development of gender-responsive nutrition plans.
The education sector also underwent scrutiny, particularly its financing and proper implementation. Dr Fozia Khan from the Education Department reaffirmed that nutrition is inherently included in the curriculum. She pinpointed the essential part financial support plays in the effective introduction and maintenance of this vital subject area.
Politicians such as Dr Fouzia Hameed, MPA, and member of the Standing Committee on Health, and Dr Sham Sundar, MPA, and Parliamentary Secretary for Transport & Mass Transit, echoed these pleas.
Dr Fouzia advocated for the establishment of nutrition and daycare centers spanning every government department, effectively sparking a notion of institutional backing. Dr Sham Sundar underscored the need for inter-disciplinary accountability and promised to champion these concerns through parliamentary channels.
The consultation reinvestigated vital legislation, including the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023 and the Sindh Food Fortification Act 2021, underlining the need for full implementation to break Sindh's entrenched malnutrition patterns.
Anwar Mahar, Executive Director of NARI Foundation, applauded the invaluable contributions from members of government, department heads, and civil society leaders. He renewed NARI's dedication to partnering with SHRC and other collaborators to push forward the nutrition and human rights agenda in Sindh.
The seminar concluded with a resounding push for all parties to unite and integrate nutrition-centered strategies within their multifaceted plans. By recognizing this basic human right and working cohesively, Sindh can foster a sustainable, nourished future for each and every resident.
- The fight against malnutrition in Sindh is being revolutionized, focusing on unified, cross-department cooperation.
- Iqbal Detho, chairperson of SHRC, emphasized the commission's role in championing food and nutrition as fundamental human rights.
- Detho stressed the necessity of multi-department camaraderie, policy consistency, and strong community leadership.
- SHRC is set to pilot the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023, starting from Sukkur.
- Sodha, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Human Rights, backed the nutrition-centered strategies proposed by stakeholders.
- Access to nourishment is a constitutional obligation, asserts Sodha, demanding immediate, focused attention in areas like Tharparkar.
- Technical sessions were filled with discussions among panelists from diverse sectors, including science, healthcare, education, agriculture, and social welfare.
- Systemic obstacles and missed opportunities, such as underfunding and unclear policies, were delved into during these discussions.
- Kashif Siddiqui, a public health expert, commended existing initiatives while urging for increased budget allocation, inter-department collaboration, and gender-responsive nutrition plans.
- The education sector's financing and proper implementation were scrutinized, with nutrition being inherently included in the curriculum.
- Politicians like Dr Fouzia Hameed and Dr Sham Sundar echoed the pleas for institutional backing, inter-disciplinary accountability, and parliamentary action.
- Dr Fouzia proposed the establishment of nutrition and daycare centers within every government department.
- Dr Sham Sundar underscored the need for inter-disciplinary accountability and promised to champion these concerns through parliamentary channels.
- The consultation revisited crucial legislation, including the Sindh Food Fortification Act 2021, underlining the need for full implementation.
- Stakeholders emphasized the importance of workplace-wellness, chronic diseases, cancer, respiratory conditions, digestive health, eye-health, hearing, health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, family-health, autoimmune-disorders, and skin-care.
- Smart therapies and treatments, novel nutrition approaches, and interventions for medical-conditions were topics of interest.
- Cardiovascular-health, neurological-disorders, and finance were also highlighted in relation to the impact on overall health and well-being.
- Energy conservation and sustainable practices were suggested for overall health improvement and the reduction of digital divide in health-care provision.
- Skin-conditions, aerospace, retail, entrepreneurship, interior-design, transportation, leadership, diversity-and-inclusion, and smart home devices were discussed as critical areas requiring attention for creating a nourished future.
- Investing in personal-finance and wealth-management, home-and-garden, and business sectors can foster economic stability and supports better nutrition access.
- Banking-and-insurance and fintech innovations were considered essential in ensuring financial inclusion and resource allocation for nutrition initiatives.
- Real-estate, stock-market, private-equity, and savings strategies were explored as potential avenues for funding sustainable nutrition-focused projects.
- Debt-management and budgeting skills were emphasized as vital for individuals and small-businesses to manage resources more effectively.
- Technology, artificial-intelligence, gadgets, and smartphones were identified as tools that can facilitate better health-care access and nutrition promotion.
- Data-and-cloud-computing was seen as a means to store, analyze, and utilize health data for improved nutrition interventions and policy-making.
- Gardening and organic food production were suggested as ways to promote local, fresh, and affordable food sources.
- Womens-health, parenting, and family-planning were acknowledged as crucial aspects of overall health and wellness, with a focus on addressing the unique nutritional needs of women and children.
- In the light of these discussions, careers in science, health-care, policy-making, finance, technology, and social work were seen as vital for driving positive change in nutrition and health trends.
- Venture-capital, philanthropy, and public-private partnerships were encouraged as key strategies for scaling and sustaining effective nutrition interventions across Sindh and beyond.
