Child malnutrition is the serious threat for the country, responsible for half of total deaths in children under-five-year-old.

Child malnutrition is the serious threat for the country, responsible for half of total deaths in children under-five-year-old. This was stated by the speakers at 2-day International Workshop on Biofortification of staple crops: a solution to combat malnutrition organized by the Department of Agronomy University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Monday. ` The workshop was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan while British University Nottingham Prof. Martin Broadley and FC College University Lahore Scientist Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik were guests of honor. Dean Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Muhammad Arshad, Chairman Agronomy Prof. Dr. Ehsan Ullah, Dr. Sardar Alim Cheema and others spoke on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that 2 billion people in the world are suffering from various forms of malnutrition and it accounts for 11% of the global burden of despise and is considered top risk to human health worldwide. Dr. Khan said that Genetically Modified (GM) crops should be adopted to address the malnutrition and food security issue at global level. He added that we have to overcome imbalanced food crisis by creating awareness among masses. He stressed the need for diet diversification coupled with micronutrients to address the issue. Dr. Khan said that British Centre is contributing a lot in various areas with the collaborative support in the field of Bioenergy, Social Sciences, Livestock Breading and others, which is fruitful for our scholars and Faculty. Dr. Martin said that Biofortification of staple crop is need of the hour particularly keeping in view the hazards of malnutrition being faced by developing countries. He said that malnutrition puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections, increases the frequency and severity of such infections and contributes to delayed recovery. He said that poor nutrition can be addressed through enrichment of plants with micronutrients, liquid zinc and selenium. Dr. Muhammad Arshad said that 347 million $ are being spent to provide micronutrients to 80% of the world’s malnourished, which can be minimized through Biofortification of staple crops. He added that food security and nutritional demand could be met through Biofortification of micronutrients in food crops by real Biological means. Dr. Ehsan Ullah said that more than 30 million people are died annually due to malnutrition globally while 60% of the world population is facing iron deficiency, 30% zinc and 30% iodine deficiency respectively. Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik urged the need for a nutritional campaign at National level in order to sensitize the general public regarding malnutrition. Dr. Sardar Alim Cheema said that 62% of Pakistanis are anemic and 56% are iron deficient. He proposed the traditional and genetically modified techniques for fortification.