40pc stunted children are alarming sign for nation’s intellectual evolution: Dr Zakar

Okara (HRNW)- Functional disability and hampered growth in children badly affect their mental capacity and cognitive development and this ultimately renders them incapable of learning and thriving in education, said the Vice Chancellor University of Okara Prof Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar while talking to his faculty about the recently published report of National Nutrition Survey 2018.
He told that when the country’s 40pc children suffered certain kinds of disabilities and diseases due to imbalanced and insufficient diet, how could we expect higher literacy rates and sound mental health.
The VC, who is also a public health expert, argued that malnutrition in children and women were linked with the families’ financial position. “Rising inflation and socioeconomic disparities in the country are rendering many lower middle class and lower class families unable to feed their children properly.”
Dr Zakar explained that without suitably functioning body, children could not do well in schools and as a result, either they dropped out or score very low grades. He urged the UO’s departments of Public Health and Sociology to collect more scientific data on these issues to further help out the policy making process.