Public Health Crisis in Pakistan: Experts Demand Regulatory Action on Food Industry

Quetta - 15 January 2025 (Connect Pakistan) : Pakistan is facing a severe crisis of non-communicable diseases, with millions of people suffering from diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease and some types of cancer. 60% of deaths in Pakistan are due to these non-communicable diseases. Consumption of ultra-processed products is a major contributor to this national health emergency. Scholars are highly respected in our society. They will play their role in educating the public about the health hazards of ultra-processed products and demand the government to take policy measures to protect public health. This was stated by the health experts at an event organized by PANAH with religious leaders at a local hotel in Quetta. Munawar Hussain, Food and Nutrition expert said, “Processed food and beverage products, especially sugary drinks and junk foods, are major contributors to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, and other chronic diseases. The annual cost of diabetes management in Pakistan exceeded US$ 2,640 million in 2021". He stressed the urgent need for policy action by regulatory bodies to address the growing risk of diabetes and other NCDs in Pakistan. He added that “foods high in sugar, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and non-sugar sweeteners need to be highly taxed as tax is first and most effective evideent based policy action to reduce their consumption. “In Pakistan, more than 1,100 people die every day due to diabetes and its complications, more than 41% of adults in Pakistan are either obese or overweight. Furthermore, more than 33 million people are currently living with diabetes, and another 10 million are at risk of developing the disease,” said Sanaullah Ghumman, General Secretary of PANAH. “The government must shoulder its responsibility to address this issue with strong policies, including Taxing UPPs and enactment of mandatory front of the pack warning labels on UPPs. This would yield threefold benefits: increased government revenue, reduced healthcare costs, and a healthier population. Ghumman said that Pakistan has a lower tax on the beverage industry compared to many countries regionally and globally. The religious leaders assured in their speeches that they would use their platform to educate the public about the health hazards of ultra-processed products. They urged the government to increase taxes on these unhealthy food items instead of taxing stationery and other basic necessities of life.