Food fortification in Pakistan, and other news (17 Jul 2018)

Every Tuesday we highlight some of the international development stories from across the globe that have caught our attention.

• Micro-nutrient malnutrition is widespread in Pakistan, with the National Nutrition Survey of 2011 revealing that 15% of children are actively malnourished, while almost half have stunted growth. DFID’s Food Fortification Programme has addressed the issue, through fortified flour, oil, and ghee. Read more in The Tribune (Pakistan).

• Nepal’s minister for energy, irrigation, and water resources has urged the UK to invest in his country’s energy sector, particularly its hydropower sector. Read more in The Himalayan Times.

• Punjab’s chief secretary has called for improvement to the conditions of hospitals, directing that 60-70% of budget should go to repairing these, rather than entirely new projects. Read more in The Express Tribune (Pakistan).

• Off-grid supply may be necessary to solve Nigeria’s energy problems, in order to allow for industrialisation. Despite funding and initiatives, thermal and hydro energy have not proved sufficient. Read more in The Nation (Nigeria).

• Open defecation has hugely decreased in Unguwan Damaru, Nigeria, as the result of the Sanitation, Hygiene, and Water in Nigeria project, funded by DFID, UNICED, and local state governments. Read more in Punch (Nigeria).

• Does foreign aid reduce government accountability? Suvojit Chattopadhyay talks through the role of foreign aid in Bangladesh, tackling this question. Read more in the Daily Star (Bangladesh).

• HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe has decreased by 24% in the past ten years. Representatives from UNICEF, IOM, WFP, and UNDP took a three-day tour of Zimbabwe to see how the nation is working to achieve the SDGs. Read more in The Herald (Zimbabwe).