India also has big stunting problems... India's under 5 stunting rate is 38%... But pakistans rate is 44% , highest in south Asia... If you want to believe, believe it... Educated people like you understand the problem and do something... Denial not do any favour... We have defecation problem in India... We understand that... That's why "Swachh Bharat mission" like programs are implemented...
With 12m stunted children, Pakistan ranked 3rd in world
LAHORE: As many as 12 million children in Pakistan suffer from stunted growth, read a new study by the World Bank.
The study, Pakistan Development Update, says under-nutrition is the largest killer of under-five children, and is responsible for the death of 3.1 million children each year. Globally approximately 162 million children under the age of 5 years are stunted, the report adds.
At 43.7 percent, Pakistan has the third highest rate of stunting in the world. Pakistan accounts for up to 12 million of this total represent the highest in South Asia too. A growing body of evidence suggests that addressing the nutrition challenge will be essential to ensure a healthy economic future for Pakistan.
The report warns that in spite of economic growth of Pakistan and unlike its regional peers, it has made no progress on nutrition indicators in recent decades. Poor nutrition exerts a heavy toll on health outcomes and economic activity-stunted children start school later, are less likely to graduate or undertake higher education and earn significantly less in adulthood. It also affects lifelong health, hindering brain development, intelligence, educability and productivity.
Moreover, Pakistan is falling behind in the fight against malnutrition. The global prevalence of stunting is improving at an average annual rate of 2.1 percent per year. However, Pakistan’s stunting rates have barely changed over the last three decades, instead worsening in recent years. Peer countries with a comparable stunting burden a decade ago have improved significantly. Bangladesh, for example, reduced its stunting rates from 42 percent in 2004 to 36 percent in 2014 and Afghanistan reduced stunting from 52 percent in 2004 to 41 percent in 2013.
It says that stunting and malnutrition vary across provinces in Pakistan, with Sindh and Balochistan showing the highest prevalence and Punjab exhibiting the lowest rates. Children in urban areas are slightly better off than their peers in rural areas (36.9 percent urban and 46.6 percent rural). There are no significant differences in the nutritional status of boys and girls.
As many as 39.2 percent children of Punjab, 49.8 percent of Sindh, 47.8 percent in KP, 52.2 percent in Balochistan, 57.6 percent in FATA, 31.7 percent in Azad Jammu Kashmir and 50.6 percent in Gilgit are stunted.
Accelerating progress in human development, including nutrition, remains the key challenge for sustained economic gains in Pakistan. Pakistan’s public spending on education and health is one of the lowest in South Asia (less than 3 percent of GDP combined), and allocation to nutrition are modest.
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JAMMU, Feb 14: Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer and Chief Secretary, B B Vyas today co-chaired a video conference with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to review the progress of the flagship Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)- Gramin programme in Jammu & Kashmir.
Director General (Special Project), Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, Akshay Kumar Rout, Secretary, PHE Department, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and other senior officers were present. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir participated in the meeting through video conference.
While appreciating the progress made by the State in the implementation of the SBM Gramin programme, Iyer informed that
across the country, sanitation coverage in the last three years has doubled from overall 38% to 78% and in J&K it has reached upto 50% from 23% during the same period.
He said over 350 districts across the country have been declared ODF including the three from J&K viz Leh, Kargil and Srinagar. He said over 4 lakh toilets have been built in the State during the last three years including 2.39 lakh in 2017-18.
Iyer said with the active support of the State and the Central Government in promoting cleanliness and achieving the objective of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), efforts should be made to make and declare the entire State ODF by or before December 2018. He complimented the State for conversion of 94% dysfunctional toilets into functional ones and for 100% conversion of insanitary latrines and coverage of Gram Panchayats (GPs).
During the meeting key issues related to achieving ODF status, ODF verification process, IMIS uploading and sustainability of SBM (G) assets and their Geo-Tagging, capacity building, hiring & training of Swachigarhis and mass outreach were discussed in detail.
Based upon the coverage already achieved, month-wise timelines were drawn for the districts to be targeted for ODF by or before December 2018. The districts of Shopian and Pulwama with over 75% coverage already are expected to be declared ODF by March 2018.
Chief Secretary directed the DCs to ensure that timelines fixed for their respective districts are adhered to and called upon the districts lagging behind to make a determined push for the purpose. He also stressed on completion of Geo-Tagging of all assets and the ODF verification process of villages by the District Level Committees constituted for the purpose within the next 45 days.
Chief Secretary emphasized on greater coordination and synergy between various departments including the Rural Development, PHE and other concerned departments and asked the DCs to ensure regular monitoring of the implementation progress.
