ISLAMABAD: Nutritionists and health experts have called upon the government to combat malnutrition in the country with the help of biotechnology.
They told WealthPK that malnutrition was a global phenomenon but it was more common in developing countries like Pakistan. “There is a dire need to incorporate biotechnology in the agriculture sector at a widespread level to combat malnutrition in the country,” they added.
The experts said that government should devise policies for using biotechnology to grow multiple varieties of crops containing multivitamins and having high yields that could ensure food security and control malnutrition.
They said that cases of stunting and wasting were prevalent across the country. “Stunting does not only mean that a child is not getting enough food. It is about the quantity and quality of diet besides other factors. The would-be mothers, who receive inadequate nutrition, give birth to stunted children,” they added.
According to a report of UNICEF, for the first six months of life, only 38 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. As a result, more than half of children under five are deficient in vitamin A, 40 percent are deficient in zinc and vitamin D and 62 percent are anemic.
The diet of children in Pakistan is substantially less diverse and, in most cases, lacks sufficient calories. To prevent stunting, wasting and other forms of malnutrition, it is essential to focus on the quality of the diet.
Under Nutrition Plans and Vision 2025, among other key strategy documents, UNICEF can assist the government at all levels in addressing these issues through advocacy, communication for development, linking mass media with interpersonal communication, and micronutrient supplementation and fortification.
In Pakistan, UNICEF is focusing on the 1,000-day nutritional ‘window’ that can reverse children’s nutritional deprivation. Globally, different techniques and methods are being used to resolve the issue of malnutrition.
The biofortification of staple crops through modern biotechnology is one way that can alleviate malnutrition in developing countries.
Several genetically modified crops, including rice, potatoes, oilseeds and cassava, with elevated levels of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, iron, zinc, protein and essential amino acids, and essential fatty acids, reduce the level of antinutritional factors.
The easy availability and consumption of biofortified crops will significantly reduce malnutrition and the risk of chronic disease in developing countries including Pakistan. “Biotechnology plays a vital role in agriculture. With the help of this technology, scientists are altering plants, animals and the value of microorganisms to produce plants and animals with desired characteristics. Over the years, biotechnology has found its way to several fields including medicine, agriculture, genetic engineering, etc,” Dr. Usman Ali Abbasi, assistant professor of biotechnology at Arid Agriculture University, told WealthPK.
Rice is a staple food across the globe that has special demand. According to a report of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 500 million tonnes of rice are produced globally. Originally, rice does not contain vitamin A, which is necessary for eyesight. With the help of biotechnology, scientists have successfully changed the genes of rice and added vitamin A genes to it.
To a question about combating malnutrition with the help of biotechnology, Dr. Usman said that globally a lot of work was being carried out to produce varieties with the help of DNA alteration. Different varieties have been produced that provide high yields using minimum inputs.
“Pakistan is also working on using biotechnology to produce different varieties of crops that contain enough nutrients. Through the genetic change, crops have been produced that are combating climate change and are sown in different environmental conditions to produce enough food containing supplements to overcome the problem of malnutrition,” he said.
–INP
