Food Insecurity and Child Malnutrition in Sistan and Baluchestan is Twice the National Average

A health expert from the health center in Zahedan stated that food insecurity and malnutrition in Sistan and Baluchestan are twice that of other provinces, with most malnutrition cases occurring in children under 5 years old. According to the government news agency ILNA, Monir Eftekhari-Nia added that three indicators—underweight, thinness, and stunting—are used to diagnose malnutrition, which are significantly higher in Sistan and Baluchestan compared to other provinces, approximately twice the national average. This expert from Zahedan University of Medical Sciences emphasized that in the adolescent group, malnutrition manifests as thinness, with the main causes being low income, household poverty, and lack of access to sufficient and nutritious food. Eftekhari-Nia noted that malnutrition is particularly prevalent in large families with low income, leading to consequences such as impaired physical and cognitive development and academic decline in later ages. The malnutrition and underweight issues in children of Sistan and Baluchestan occur while access to protein sources like meat, chicken, and fish is scarce in household diets. Experts believe that the high population of low-income and marginalized individuals, along with a lack of proper nutritional education and adherence to it by families, are factors that have caused the malnutrition and underweight rates in children of this province to reach twice the national average. The report continued with the head of the Health Commission of the Parliament stating that despite its high capacities, Sistan and Baluchestan is the poorest province in the country, and economic problems faced by families have led to malnutrition and stunting in children, particularly in the southern part of the province. Hossein-Ali Shahriari emphasized that some mothers are forced to use formula instead of breast milk for various reasons, but unfortunately, either the required formula is not available in the market, or its price in pharmacies is high, making it unaffordable for families. Shahriari added that Sistan and Baluchestan has many infrastructures and mines, but unfortunately, the people of this province do not have a share in employment related to these infrastructures and do not receive adequate wages. He also stressed that if the capacities of the Oman Sea and its rich resources are properly utilized, the protein needs of the province and the country will be met. Eftekhari-Nia also pointed out the importance of allocating subsidies to low-income families, stating that currently, 10,000 malnourished children in the area of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences are covered by a supportive plan from the Ministry of Welfare, and over 30,000 children in the province benefit from this plan, with their cards being recharged monthly. He added that this supportive program could solve the problem of children's access to food and consequently help improve the situation of malnourished children. Amid unprecedented price increases and a severe reduction in protein consumption in Iran, nutrition experts say that protein deficiency poses a risk of various diseases to current and future generations of Iran.