1st International PKNC Conference

FAISALABAD Nov 7: Amid the situation of massive malnutrition hitting 40 percent of the population, it is prerequisite to sensitize the people about food diversification, healthy food, changing lifestyle, promote maize-wheat flour and indigenous solutions to overcome hidden hunger, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. He addressed 1st International Pak-Korea Nutrition Center (PKNC) conference on Nutrition and Public Health for Developing Economies and Sustainable Solutions organized by PKNC and National Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFSAT). Recipe development competition was also arranged in which practitioner dieticians across the country participated. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that country requirement for the wheat is 30 million tons while we are producing 27 million tonnes. If we mix 15 percent maize in wheat, it will not only slash wheat import but also improve the health of the people. He said that the wheat per acres production has been facing stagnant for the last many years whereas maize per acre productivity has gone up manifold. Talking about the students, he showed his concern that the most of the school going and college students are coming without taking breakfast by habit, reducing their efficiency in studies. He urged the parents to focus on the issue. He said that with the help of Korea, National Nutrition Center –PKNC- established at UAF would prove watershed for curbing large scale malnutrition with awareness, research work, product development and capacity building of nutrition practitioners, the school teachers and the society as well. Dr Jaehan Kim from Chungnam National University Korea said that there was a low accessibility of nutritional information in the community. He said that with information, we can get the nutrient food with same price that will make us healthy. He said that PKNC funded by Korean International Cooperation Agency will train the 35 master trainers, 36000 local nutrition specialist including school teachers, lady heath worker, and 36,000 local community. Director KOICA Je Ho Yeon said that PKNC education would improve the life. He said that the PKNC will also help further strengthen Korea-Pak relation, and friendship. He said that important of nutrition education would improve the health of the people. Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition and Home Sciences Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said that country was losing the 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product due to malnutrition. He added that the PKNC will train the nutrition education specialist, school teachers and other stakeholders, effective delivery of appropriate information Dr Basma Elahi from UK said that we need to identify the root cause of the any issue. He said that the malnutrition was causing many ailments in the society and under the banner of PKNC, we would come up with tangible results with healthy nation. Major General (r) Masud Ur Rehman Kiani said that the obesity was pushing the people towards the many diseases. He urged the people to work out and use the hygienic food. He stressed the need to curtail the trend of wrong time of food, wrongly prepared food etc. Director General NIFSAT Dr Imran Pasha said that the UAF was the pioneer institution to introduce the Human Nutrition and Dietetics program in the country and now, the program is cascaded in many universities of country. Dr Benish Israr, and Dr Benish Sarwar called for adopting the healthy lifestyle.