Nearly four in 10 under five children in Punjab are stunted while nearly two out of every 10 children under five also suffer from wasting, a form of malnutrition which puts affected children at high risk of dying, they said while quoting a survey. Health professionals added that 23.5% of children under five were found to be underweight while 9.9% were overweight in Punjab.
Moreover, as per survey, they said, one in eight adolescent girls and nearly two in eight adolescent boys are underweight in the province of Punjab while approximately 41% of the adolescent girls are anaemic.
They expressed concern over soaring prices of nutritional products, which are now regulated by DRAP; and customs authorities are charging 63 percent duties in comparison to 19 percent with other health products.