Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), which is in the far north of Pakistan, is famous for its beautiful scenery, snow-capped mountains, and lively culture. Malnutrition and poor nutrition, on the other hand, are serious but often ignored public health problems that lie beneath the area’s natural beauty. This mountainous area has a complicated nutritional environment that needs immediate attention because it is far away from other places, has limited access to medical care, is poor, and has a set eating pattern.

Understanding the Food of Gilgit-Baltistan

The harsh weather, low agricultural productivity, and traditional food practices in Gilgit-Baltistan all have a big effect on what people eat. Most households eat only a few basic foods, such as wheat, barley, maize, potatoes, milk, and apricots. These foods are important for getting enough calories, but they often don’t have enough of the micronutrients that are good for health.

Because of the short growing season and the lack of arable land, fresh fruits and vegetables are often hard to come by, especially during the long, harsh winters. Families usually use meat, grains that they have stored, and dried apricots to keep food fresh for the winter. Even though this practice shows resilience, it makes the diet less diverse.

What Nutritional Deficiencies Mean for Public Health

Many people in Gilgit-Baltistan don’t get enough of certain nutrients, which is bad for public health. Iron deficiency anaemia is one of the most common disorders, especially in women of childbearing age and children. Vitamin D deficiency is another common problem. It happens mostly because people don’t eat enough fortified foods and don’t get enough sun in the winter. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are another big worry, especially in remote valleys like Chilas and the far-off areas of Skardu and Ghizer, where the use of iodised salt is different. These deficiencies can cause tiredness, slow cognitive development in children, a weakened immune system, and problems during pregnancy and childbirth.

Malnutrition in children is a big problem. Local health surveys show that stunting, or being shorter than average for your age, is more than 35% in some areas. The number of people who are underweight or wasting (having a low weight for height) is still shockingly high, which shows both short-term and long-term undernutrition. These problems not only make it harder for people to grow, but they also put a lot of stress on the area’s healthcare system and lower the value of its long-term human capital.

A Group at Risk: Mothers’ and Children’s Nutrition

Women and children in GB are more likely to have nutritional problems than men. Pregnant women often can’t eat certain foods that are high in protein and iron, which are important for the development of the foetus. This is because of cultural food taboos and a lack of education for mothers. Not getting enough nutritional care after giving birth can slow down recovery and raise the risk of problems.

Poor nutrition in kids under five is caused by not getting enough food and not being able to get to healthcare. Breastfeeding is common, but complementary foods may not always be added because they are hard to find or people don’t know how to do it.

Things That Make Nutritional Insecurity Worse

There are a number of related reasons for the nutritional problems in Gilgit-Baltistan:

1. Geographic Separation: The region’s rough terrain and harsh climate make it hard to get to hospitals, stores, and schools. Winter roadblocks make the problem even worse.

2. Economic conditions: Many families depend on seasonal work or subsistence farming. When incomes are unstable, it can be hard to buy a wide range of healthy foods all year long.

3. Lack of Knowledge: There isn’t enough nutritional education, especially for women. People make bad food choices because they keep getting the wrong ideas about food and health.

4. Health Infrastructure: Public health facilities don’t have enough trained dietitians and nutritionists. Nutrition services don’t have as much of an effect because they aren’t part of regular medical care.

5. Climate Change: Changing weather patterns that affect food security, the health of livestock, and crop yields are a greater risk to nutrition.

Actions and Interventions

A lot of government and non-governmental groups and organisations are working to make the region’s nutrition better:

The World Food Programme (WFP) runs school feeding programmes to help kids eat better and learn better. UNICEF gives money to projects that help mothers and children stay healthy, like monitoring growth and giving them extra vitamins and minerals. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is involved in community-based health and nutrition programmes. The Ehsaas Nashonuma Programme gives mothers conditional cash transfers to help them and their children eat better.

These efforts are still limited in terms of how far they can go and how long they will last. Many isolated communities still fall through the cracks because of problems with logistics and health systems that don’t have enough money.

Ideas for Eco-Friendly Solutions

To solve Gilgit-Baltistan’s nutritional crisis, we need a plan that takes into account people from many different sectors and cultures.

1. Promote Nutrition Education: Get local media, women’s groups, and schools to include nutrition education programmes. Watch how mothers and children eat.

2. Increase Dietary Diversity: Encourage greenhouse farming, kitchen gardening, and integrating livestock to make more fruits, vegetables, and animal protein available.

3. Nutritional Education: Make health services better by giving nearby healthcare workers training in nutrition counselling. Add nutrition counselling and screening to primary care services.

4. Micronutrient Supplementation: Increase efforts to provide iron, vitamin D, and iodine, especially to groups that are at high risk.

5. Monitoring and Data Collection: Set up reliable ways to keep track of nutritional indicators so that policymakers can make decisions based on facts, and targeted interventions can be made.

6. Community Involvement: To make sure that the promotion of nutrition is culturally relevant and accepted, include traditional healers, religious leaders, and local leaders.

In conclusion, Gilgit-Baltistan’s nutritional status shows how hard it is to live there and how big the structural inequalities are. But it also gives people a chance to start revolutionary public health programmes. Funding nutrition-sensitive policies and getting people involved at the grassroots level can improve the health and well-being of one of Pakistan’s most resilient but underserved areas. Gilgit-Baltistan can become stronger and healthier in the future if it deals with malnutrition now.

Written By

Dr. Tausif Ahmad

(Clinical Nutritionist & Dietitian)