TOBA TEK SINGH: As malnutrition affects 40 per cent of the population, it is critical to educate people about food diversification, healthy eating, altering lifestyles, the benefits of maize-wheat flour and indigenous remedies to combat hidden hunger.

This was stated by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at the first International Pakistan-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC) conference on Nutrition and Public Health for Developing Economies and Sustainable Solutions.

The PKNC and the National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology (NIFSAT) organised the conference.

He stated that the country requires 30 million tonnes of wheat but only produces 27 million tonnes. If we combine 15 per cent maize into wheat, we will not only reduce wheat imports, but also improve people’s health. He said that the wheat per acres production has been stagnant for the last many years whereas maize per acre productivity has gone up manifold.

He voiced his concern that the majority of school and college students arrive without eating breakfast as a habit, lowering their academic performance. He asked the parents to concentrate on the problem.

He stated that the PKNC, which was formed at the UAF, will be a watershed moment in combating large-scale malnutrition through education, research, product creation, and capacity building of nutrition practitioners, school teachers, and society as a whole.

According to Dr Jaehan Kim of Korea’s Chungnam National University, there is a lack of access to nutritional information in the community. He stated that with information, we can have nutrient-dense food at the same cost that will keep us healthy.

He stated that the 35 master trainers, 36,000 local nutrition professionals, including school teachers, lady health workers, and 36,000 local community members, will be trained by the PKNC, which is financed by the Korean International Cooperation Agency.

According to KOICA Director Je Ho Yeon, the PKNC will help to develop Korean-Pak relations. He stated that nutrition education would improve people’s health.

According to Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt, Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition and Home Sciences, malnutrition costs the country 3pc of its GDP. He also stated that the PKNC will train nutrition education specialists, school teachers, and other stakeholders to ensure that proper information is delivered effectively.

According to Dr Basma Elahi, we must find the fundamental cause of any problem. Malnutrition causes numerous societal ills, and under the umbrella of the PKNC, we would produce meaningful results for a healthy nation.

Dr Imran Pasha, Director General of NIFSAT, stated that the UAF was the first university to introduce the human nutrition and dietetics curriculum in the country, and that the programme is currently being forwarded to numerous universities across the country.

FIRE: Two cars caught fire late on Sunday, one in Jhang and one in Faisalabad.

According to Rescue 1122, the car caught fire and was entirely destroyed in Jhang at Adda Majhi Sultan on Maddoki Road. The cause of the fire was unknown. Rescue 1122 said in Jhang at Adda Majhi Sultan on Maddoki Road, the car caught fire and was gutted completely. The cause of the fire could not be known.

DIES IN CUSTODY: A theft suspect allegedly died in police custody in Faisalabad’s Madina Town on Monday.

Acting CPO Abdullah Ahmad has ordered Madina Town SP Ahmad Zubair to conduct an investigation into the incident. Irfan Nazir, of Chak 215-RB, Kakkoana, and two accomplices were arrested as theft suspects, according to Madina Town police.

They were in the police station’s lockup when Irfan complained of heart problems, prompting Rescue 1122 to transport him to the DHQ hospital, where he died of a heart attack.

The body was transported to a hospital for an autopsy.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022