Malnutrition To End By 2030, Official

Kabul (BNA) Improper nutrition has been blamed to be the worst reason behind most cases of children and mothers’ undernourishment in Afghanistan, officials in the ministry of public health said. Malnutrition affected children fail to normally grow and keep their intelligence intact in a country like Afghanistan, where most of them lacked sound nutrition rising from economic problems in their families, said Dr. Mah Gul working for Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital, adding children under 5 years of their ages usually suffer from malnutrition. She advised mothers not to leave breastfeeding their newborn babies until they reach two years of their ages, otherwise, they would find them affected with such abnormality. “Taking different types of foods with enough advised vitamins as well as vegetables helps both mother and child remain healthy and fresh and saved of unintelligence, during pregnancy and after birth they both should have normally the same menu,” said Dr. Mah Gul. She also called on mothers to keep themselves healthy during both pregnancy and afterbirth, by usually referring to the related healthcare centers. Meanwhile, according to the ministry of public health, malnutrition cases are expected to be ended by 2030, a priority of the ministry that could echo as good news among the Afghan citizens. 44 percent of under 25 individuals, including women during pregnancy suffer from iron deficiency and anemia and more than 18 percent of children suffer lack of vitamin D, a deficiency would push children towards growing abnormally, said the ministry’s officials. Insufficient nutrition would cause unintelligence in the children that gradually leads to an unsound society, said the official. Meantime, physicians blame some households with newborns for not obeying health advices and failing to distinguish between quality and non-quality milk powders. “They [mothers] usually purchase milk powers packed in colorful cans and believe these types could contain quality stuff. While this approach is wrong, and they should refer to the related physicians and take advice that which one should be prescribed as the most effective food and tunic nutrient for their babies.”