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Mishal to Launch Media Initiative on “Eliminating Hidden Hunger”

Hidden hunger, also known as micronutrient deficiencies, afflicts more than 2 billionindividuals, or one in three people, globally.

Mishal to Launch Media Initiative on “Eliminating Hidden Hunger”

1930200_23404655518_9955_nIslamabad, PK – 02 August, 2016 – Hidden hunger, also known as micronutrient deficiencies, afflicts more than 2 billionindividuals, or one in three people, globally. Hidden Hunger’s effects can be devastating, leading to mental impairment, poor health, low productivity, and even death. Its adverse effects on child health and survival are particularly acute, especially within the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from conception to the age of two, resulting in serious physical and cognitive consequences.

Mishal Pakistan in collaboration with other stakeholders will be launching a program to create better understanding on the stakeholders on this issue. Mishal will be especially building the capacity of the Media and working journalists on health related issues on the concept and challenges of hidden hunger and the importance of micronutrients.

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan said, “Our research and media development initiatives have built the capacity of thousands of journalists and media professionals across Pakistan in the last twelve years. Under our Creating Shared Values initiatives, Mishal is now establishing a new partnership to create and strengthen Pakistan’s national dialogue on Hidden Hunger. Jahangir said, “We believe, working closely with the leading research and academic institutions will develop interventions to improve the human capital and industry standards through knowledge-based initiatives on hidden hunger, while providing policy guidelines to the public sector leadership.” Jahangir also announced that “AGAHI Awards 2016 will have a special categories the Hidden Hunger.”

Earlier, Mishal and Quetta Press Club also jointly launched the initiative to bring all stakeholders to address the malnutrition challenge in Baluchistan. Building better understanding of the media on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Mishal has signed memorandum of understandings with other stakeholders to build awareness on the nutrition challenges faced in each of the province. The initiative is first of its kind where national and provincial narrative will be built through media and communication experts. The initiative signed under the title of “Eliminating Hidden Hunger”, will bring all stakeholders on a common platform for a joint initiative for capacity of the civil society organizations, media entities and especially the journalists working on health, nutrition and child rights issues along with food and water security experts.

The memorandum of understandings on “Eliminating Hidden Hunger” formally establishes a new strategic partnership, enabling the organizations to create a unique model in Pakistan for private and public sector institutions to play their role as responsible enterprises, working to improve the human security and dignity through knowledge empowerment and information management on Nutrition related issues.

Hidden hunger is a form of undernutrition that occurs when intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, iodine, and iron) are too low to sustain good health and development. Factors that contribute to micronutrient deficiencies include poor diet, increased micronutrient needs during certain life stages, such as pregnancy and lactation, and health problems such as diseases, infections, or parasites.

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While clinical signs of hidden hunger, such as night blindness due to vitamin A deficiency and goiter from inadequate iodine intake, become visible once deficiencies become severe, the health and development of a much larger share of the population is affected by less obvious “invisible” effects. That is why micronutrient deficiencies are often referred to as hidden hunger.

The Memorandum of Understandings earlier signed by various press clubs and Mishal will be a pivot for Pakistan’s Industry-academia linkages, particularly in the media sector. It will define new value systems on how to create shared value for the stakeholders, while doing business in a more sustainable, responsible and profitable manner.

Mishal’s foremost domain of activity is strategic communication with a spotlight on media development, behaviour change communication, perception management and future scenario predictions using methodologies and resources that service the lifestyle and social needs of individuals, their families, the communities they live in and ultimately their larger domains.

Established in 2003, Mishal has been engaged with some of the most dynamic organizations, including media enterprises and global development agencies helping them develop their communication strategies and solutions for better understanding and creating synergies with their concerned stakeholders. Mishal is the country partner institute of the Center for Global Competitiveness and Benchmarking Network of the World Economic Forum. Mishal’s research and capacity building initiatives have assisted and helped successive governments to improve Pakistan’s global ranking on competitiveness, gender gap, trade and information technology indices.

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