Lahore:Punjab Food Authority has launched the School Nutrition Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving children’s health and growth.
The program was inaugurated at Civil Services Academy schools by DG Punjab Food Authority Asim Javed and DG Civil Services Farhan Aziz Khawaja. During the launch, the DG Punjab Food Authority addressed members of the Public Health Society, emphasizing the need to combat malnutrition. He highlighted alarming statistics, noting that 40% of children face stunting, 28% suffer from wasting, 30% have below-average height for their age and 9.5% are overweight. Additionally, deficiencies in iron, zinc, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D are prevalent among women and children in Pakistan.
In the first phase, 38,000 children from 25 government schools are participating in the program. These students will undergo health screenings and receive nutritious food for two months with re-screening to assess progress. Based on results, the program will expand across Punjab.
Parents,
teachers and children will be educated on healthy food choices through training sessions and awareness programs. DG Asim Javed stated that the initiative follows international standards and aims to train children as “Food Champions” while ensuring long-term impact through MoUs with Punjab Sports Board, Pakistan Cricket Board and Higher Education Board.
The Nutrition Coordination Committee and Dashboard will monitor the program in educational institutions, while Punjab Textbook Board will be urged to include nutrition-related topics in the curriculum. The initiative also includes appointing nutrition ambassadors and distributing awareness materials to promote healthy eating habits.