Lahore : In commemoration of World Stroke Day on 29th October, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), under its TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign, organized the first two Youth-Led Policy Roundtables in Faisalabad and Lahore in a series of youth-led roundtables in Punjab and Sindh. Held in collaboration with the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, the sessions aimed to amplify youth voices in advocating for a legislative ban on the production, import and distribution of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs)—the main source of industrially produced trans fats (iTFAs) in Pakistan.
Industrial trans fats, derived primarily from PHOs, are among the leading causes of numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and strokes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), strokes are currently the third leading cause of death in Pakistan, underscoring the urgency of addressing this silent but preventable public health crisis.
The first roundtable, held at the Pakistan-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC), UAF, brought together participants from academia, civil society, and government institutions. Dr Allah Rakha, Associate Professor at UAF, moderated the session, while Prof Dr Zulfikar Ali, Vice Chancellor of UAF, delivered the opening remarks. Appreciating the organizers’ efforts, he stressed, “It is imperative that we link food security and nutrition with health. These should not operate in isolation.”
The keynote address was delivered by Munawar Hussain, a senior health and nutrition policy expert, who reiterated the critical need for a complete ban on PHOs to mitigate the growing burden of NCDs in Pakistan. Mr. Sana Ullah Ghumman, Secretary General of Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) and representatives from Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) also contributed valuable perspectives to the discussion. Concluding the session, Ms Huria Tariq, Programme Implementation Lead at PYCA, emphasized, “The industry uses PHOs to enhance the taste of their products and to increase shelf life. However, millions of people are losing their lives due to non-communicable diseases every year in Pakistan. The economic loss due to productivity losses and premature deaths is huge and a serious threat to our economy. Therefore, it is imperative that we immediately ban PHOs, the source of iTFAs, for the betterment of our public health and our country.”
The second youth-led roundtable took place at UVAS, Lahore, co-organized by Department of Human Nutrition, and PYCA. The event featured members of the Punjab Assembly, participants from leading academic institutions including Kinnaird College, the University of Central Punjab, Riphah International University and the Institute of Health Sciences. Prof Dr Aleena Zameer Durrani, Chairperson at UVAS, inaugurated the session, highlighting the urgent need to deliberate on this pressing public health issue.
Delivering the keynote address, Ms Areebah Shahid, Executive Director of PYCA, shared that “Many countries with socio-economic indicators similar to Pakistan, such as Egypt and Thailand have successfully banned PHOs. With limited enforcement capacities of food authorities and unregulated food economy, Pakistan needs to follow suit with a PHO ban, on top of the iTFA regulation, to protect future generations from the harmful effects of iTFAs.” The session concluded with members of the Punjab Assembly—Ms Sumbal Maalik, Ms Zeba Ghaffor and Ms Mumtaz Begum—pledging their support to raise the issue on the Assembly floor and explore stronger measures to ensure that harmful industrial trans fats did not make their way into the diets of the citizens through PHOs and all other sources.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
