The National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)has taken an initiative to impart nutrition education sessions to school children in twin cities in its drive for creating awareness to help improve their health as 40.2 per cent of children in Pakistan are suffering from stunted growth, said head of NUMS Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Dr Abdul Momin Rizwan Ahmed here on Sunday.
Realising the dire state of nutrition indicators in Pakistan and the importance of spreading awareness about nutrition education at the grassroots level, NUMS Department of Nutrition & Dietetics (DND) started education sessions at different schools in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The series of such sessions were held at Roots International School, the Great Maple School, United Charter School, the International School System, and SLS Montessori School and college PWD campus, where NUMS’s nutrition experts gave lessons for two days to students of Grade I to grades IV, and Grades V to VIII on the topics of “Importance of Breakfast and Healthy Eating – The Concept of My Plate”, he said.
These educational sessions were conducted in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2) (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality education). NUMS Department of Nutrition & Dietetics aims to continue conducting such training sessions in various schools in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to the National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan 2018-19, 40.2% of children in Pakistan are stunted (lower height for age), 17.7% suffer from wasting (lower weight for height), 28.9% are underweight (lower weight for age) while 9.5% are overweight. These indicators call for immediate interventions to bring about a long-term change in the eating habits and dietary choices of people at large. During NUMS educational nutrition sessions, school children were explained through videos the difference between healthy and junk foods. They were told as how the consumption of healthy and junk food affect their health.
