ISLAMABAD: There was a time when communicable diseases were the leading cause of deaths and disabilities in Pakistan, but non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been on the rise due to changes in food systems and lifestyles.

With advancements in science-based treatments, vaccinations, and public health infrastructure, more lives are being saved from premature death due to infectious diseases.

Executive Director of the Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA), Mohammad Anwar, while presenting the policy brief titled “Food Governance and Prevention of NCDs in Pakistan,” shared insights on the matter.

He emphasised that the growing prevalence of NCDs is linked to the changing dietary patterns and lifestyle shifts in the country.

“In addition, we have a patchy information, diagnostic and treatment infrastructure for primordial and primary prevention,” he said. “However, the rapid spread of diet-related NCDs can be controlled by altering the modifiable risk factors, such as the availability and consumption of salt, sugar, oils and fats.”

He said that the policy brief sheds light on the problem of NCDs, food governance in Pakistan, and includes a brief set of policy recommendations for the governments.

“Food systems are changing at an enormous speed. Along with the change in dietary patterns and lifestyles, community disease burden is also witnessing shifts in the composition of diseases. Infectious diseases like cholera and TB have given way to NCDs like cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, hypertension, cancers, mental disorders and obesity, which are the main reasons behind unhealthy lives, disabilities and deaths” he added.

Mohammad Anwar said that NCDs account for over 60pc of deaths in Pakistan, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for 29pc—a figure higher than the global average.

“Pakistan hosts the third-largest population of people with diabetes, with 33 million diagnosed, and an additional 10 million pre-diabetic. Hypertension affects 43pc of adults aged 30 to 79, with many lacking access to high-quality standard treatment regimes for these diseases”, he said.

CGPA Social Development Advisor Zubair Faisal Abbasi said that every day, we are losing lives prematurely.

“One of the most important aspects is to ensure that the food supply is safe to consume and is nutritious. Pakistani foods, especially highly processed fast foods, and frozen products are high in sugars, trans fats, and sodium, contributing to Pakistan’s growing NCD crisis. This is one of the sources behind Pakistanis falling prey to hazards of risky food supplies,” he said.

The document suggested that efforts should be directed towards modernising the system of food governance in line with the mandated best-practice policies of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“Pakistan needs to build technical, human, infrastructure and legal-administrative capacity of various institutions such as Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), PCSIR and provincial food authorities, and look at the ‘new foods’ part of public health concerns,” it suggested.

It highlighted that there was no established mechanism with clearly defined administrative and legislative authority for institutional coordination to execute better food governance in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024