The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has issued an urgent appeal to the Chief Secretary Balochistan, Secretary Food Balochistan and other key officers of the provincial government to address the increasing incidence and prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Pakistan.
According to the latest health statistics, around 60 percent of deaths are attributed to NCDs such as cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. In addition, the NCDs are a leading cause of not only premature mortality i.e., before the age of 70, but these are also increasing burden of disabilities and unhealthy life years causing people huge financial losses as well as reduction in life years. The three dietary risk factors that the CPDI letter warns against include the excessive use of unhealthy oils and fats, added sugar in foods and drinks, and high content of sodium in food items.
In a letter, the CPDI, a non-partisan civil society organization, has urged the Balochistan Government to implement concrete measures banning such unhealthy food and beverages from public procurements, official meetings, and functions. Highlighting the rising numbers of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in Pakistan due to the unregulated consumption of food containing harmful ingredients like sugar, sodium, and trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in fats, CPDI emphasizes the urgent need of proactive official policies and regulations aimed at mitigating dietary risk factors and improving public health.
Studies reveal that approximately 33 million people in Pakistan suffer from diabetes, additional 10 million are pre-diabetic, and 918 cases per 100,000 individuals are affected by cardiovascular diseases.
The CPDI has also urged the provincial government to engage with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to expedite the formulation of mandatory and enforceable standards for all food items to regulate unhealthy content, for example, the quantity of TFAs should not be more than 2 percent. Moreover, CPDI has urged to restrict the availability of unhealthy food in schools, hospitals, and public parks; eliminate government subsidies on harmful products such as sugars and banaspati ghee; and implement public awareness campaigns to inform consumers about dietary risk factors. CPDI has suggested the government to “provide subsidies to healthy foods so that people enjoy better health status and contribute more to the GDP as mentally and physically active citizens”.
Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Executive Director, CPDI, expressed the hope that these measures will significantly and positively address the NCDs related public health crisis in the country. “Medical research shows that the national burden of diseases, deaths, and disabilities in Pakistan is changing, and we need to take serious measures to control dietary risk factors so that our healthcare system does not cave down and is able to provide quality healthcare services to the population”, he added.
