FAISALABAD:University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan Friday said that more than 40 per cent population of country is experiencing malnutrition and the Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC) established at UAF, would help combat the challenge at national level.
He was chairing the meeting of 1st National Steering Committee (NSC) held here to discuss the project titled “Establishment of Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC) to Improve Child and Community Nutrition.”
He said that malnutrition had emerged as the biggest challenge that needs to be addressed on urgent basis by creating awareness, tangible research and outreach work.
He said that to provide nutrition education at community level, the PKNC project would train master trainers in Korea who would further disseminate nutrition education to concerned stakeholders. With continued support from stakeholders, “We would meet objectives as mentioned under PC-1 of the project, he said and thanked Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for such an important initiative that would work to address malnutrition issues at national level in Pakistan.”
Director Planning and Development UAF Irfan Abbas presented agenda of the meeting.
Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition & Home Sciences/Central Project Director/PI, PKNC Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said that the PKNC project was approved by the Central Development Working Party at a total cost of Rs1,593.7 million with the KOICA share of US$ 7 million and PSDP/HEC share of Rs438.775 million with its completion time of 60-month.
The administrative approval of the project had also been issued on 19th September 2022, he said and highlighted that the project was expected to produce 120,000 trained beneficiaries.
The NSC approved the annual work plan of the project presented by Thematic Chairs of PKNC. The NSC constituted a Scientific Advisory Board of PKNC under the convenor-ship of UAF VC.
The meeting was attended by Yeon Je Ho, Country Director, KOICA; Heungsu Lee, Deputy Country Director, KOICA, Dr Nazeer Ahmed, Chief Nutrition, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Dr Arif Rehman Chief (S&T), Planning Commission of Pakistan, Prof. Jaehan Kim, Chungnam National University, South Korea, Prof Dr Imran Pasha, Dy. Project Director/CO-PI, PKNC, Umer Saeed Qadri, Treasurer, UAF; Ali Raza, Programme Manager KOICA Pakistan, PKNC thematic chairs, and focal persons from provincial partners of PKNC.