News
TFA Advisory Group quarterly meets at Heartfile to review progress
5 July, 2021: Pakistan's Trans-fat Advisory Group convened at Heartfile Head Office in Islamabad at their quarterly meeting. The progress on the project was reviewed and the group deliberated over how to steer the project in future and discussed intricate technical details with further calls to Action. The changing dynamics since the last meeting were also assessed and reviewed. View More
The Battle For Healthy Food
3 January 2021: Heartfile published an op-ed entitled "Society: The Battle For Healthy Food. The article discusses the evolution of quality standards in general and that of food standards in particular in Pakistan. It sheds light on the key challenges and barriers to successful implementation. It also discusses the ongoing tug of war between regulators and industry and how the industry is able to influence the regulators and what actions are needed to avoid such pitfalls. The public health angle of unhealthy foods also received due discourse in this article. View More
Striving for a trans-fat free Pakistan
22 December 2020: Heartfile published an op-ed in the Dawn newspaper entitled "Striving for a trans-fat free Pakistan". In the backdrop of dietary risk factors emerging from the high prevalence of iTFAs in Pakistan's food value chain, this article attempts to set out a recommended course of actions (to be taken by the GoP and various other stake holders) and their appropriate chronological order to rid the country of harmful iTFAs without impacting the overall economy. View More
Heartfile releases an abridged Urdu version of their earlier documentary film highlighting the prevalence of industrially-produced Trans-fats (iTFAs) in Pakistan's dietary sources and how to save population of Pakistan from exposure to related health risks
15 December 2020: Heartfile publishes an abridged version https://youtu.be/P2rSiYS2GzU of their iTFA documentary which was released earlier by Heartfile on 11 November 2020. This abridged version is in Urdu which increases its outreach to millions of Pakistanis and complements the original English version for Non-Urdu speaking / international audience. Like its earlier English counterpart, the documentary essentially delivers the same earlier message of highlighting the prevalence as well as hazards of high levels of iTFA intake and the importance of all key stakeholders (i.e. the Government, the Producers and the Consumers) coming together for coordinated actions to reduce iTFA intake at population… View More
Heartfile releases a documentary film highlighting the prevalence of industrially-produced Trans-fats (iTFAs) in Pakistan's dietary sources, their known health hazards and how to save population of Pakistan from exposure to related health risks
11 November 2020: Heartfile premiered a documentary in a consultation and advocacy seminar on trans-fat elimination from Pakistan held at Marriot Islamabad [link to our website news will be here]. It highlights the prevalence as well as hazards of high levels of iTFA intake and the importance of all key stakeholders (the Government, the Producers and the Consumers) coming together for coordinated actions to reduce iTFA intake at population level. View More
Pakistan's raging NCD crisis cannot be fought without empowered consumers
10 November 2020: Heartfile published an op-ed in the Dawn newspaper entitled "Pakistan's raging NCD crisis cannot be fought without empowered consumers". The op-ed highlights the importance of empowering consumers in fight against NCDs. It looks at the systemic weaknesses, and opines that fragmented pieces of legalizations and the lack of a national approach to consumer protection happen to be among a long list of many factors eroding consumer protection in Pakistan . It also discusses needed institutions, the possible way-forward and how empowered consumers can influence the food manufacturers by creating a strong consumer-side-demand force. View More
Pakistan's National Action Plan aimed at TFA Elimination in Pakistan steadily progresses towards finalization after a Consultation Seminar in Marriot Islamabad on The National Action Plan concludes their Technical discussion amidst experts and officials.
11th Nov ,2020: Heartfile, together with the World Health Organization and the Nutrition Wing of Ministry of Health Services, Regulations & Coordination co-hosted a "Consultation and Advocacy Seminar on Trans-fat elimination from Pakistan". Special Advisor to Prime Minister for Social Protection Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the event and high ranking officials from the federal as well as provincial governments, provincial food authorities and WHO's Country and Regional heads alongside technical experts from PSQCA and the industry participated in the seminar. The participants deliberated and debated various technical details and concluded the technical discussions on the draft action Plan. View More
Covid-19 and Pakistan's raging NCD crisis
Sep 2020: Heartfile’s op-ed “Covid-19 and Pakistan's raging NCD crisis” has also been featured in September issue of NCDA’s NCD Digest. The article highlights the increased vulnerability of people living with NCDs to getting seriously ill after contracting COVID-19 infection and in the light of this statistically observable phenomenon, discusses the response-preparedness and capacity of Pakistan's public health system and identifies gaps and fixing those gaps” View More
NCD s and COVID
In order to Get the message across to a wider audience , our recent op-ed entitled “COVID-19 and Pakistan’s raging NCD crises” (originally published in Dawn News on 09 August 2020) is now available in Urdu. Making it available in Urdu shall enable even more people better understand the increased vulnerability of people living with NCDs to COVID-19. The op-ed has been published in Urdu Daily “Al Akhbar” . It has been printed in two parts. Part 1 of the op-ed was printed on 19th 2020 . The second part (part 2) was printed in the same newspaper on 20th Sept 2020. View More
Second meeting of TFA Advisory Group, Pakistan
22nd September,2020: Subsequent to the February 2020 meeting of the TFA advisory group, a follow up meeting of the core Advisory group was conducted at Heartfile. The advisory group reviewed the progress and deliberated on a future course of actions while taking an account of latest developments in the country in order to align the course of actions with the goals of trans-fat elimination. View More
COVID-19 and Pakistan’s raging NCD crises
2 August 2020: Heartfile and colleagues recently published an op-ed in the Dawn newspaper entitled “COVID-19 and Pakistan’s raging NCD crises”. The op-ed highlights the dangerous interlinkages between NCDs and CoVID-19 and stresses the need to address the NCD crises – the leading cause of death in Pakistan and a source of vulnerability to severe illness from COVID-19. View More
Heartfile publishes Special Supplement on Trans- Fatty Acid (TFA) in Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association (JPMA)
June 2020: Heartfile published a special supplement in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association (JPMA) in its May 2020 issue titled Trans-Fatty Acid (TFA) elimination in Pakistan: A Situational Analysis. The supplement provides an overview of TFA sources in Pakistan, introduces the country’s regulatory framework governing food, and suggests steps to eliminate industrially-produced TFA from the Pakistani diet. The development of the report which was launched in July 2019 at a national event and its publishing in the premier medical journal is part of ongoing efforts to highlight the TFA issue and garner support towards the implementation of measures… View More
National Consultation on Development of National Action Plan for TFA Elimination in Pakistan
28th Nov ,2019: Heartfile co-hosted a national consultation workshop with @WHOPakistan & Nutrition wing of MoNHSRC in Islamabad to deliberate on the draft action plan which was prepared based on the discussion & suggestions by experts and policy makers in the light of the TFA studies conducted by WHO and Heartfile disseminated in earlier events. Representatives from all province’s food authorities, technical partners, NGOs and INGOs partake in that important discussion and came to a consensus. View More
Constitution of National TFA Advisory and Advocacy Group, Pakistan
26th Sep , 2019 : In the light of WHO’s calls on governments to use the REPLACE action package to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from the food supply, Government of Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) formed a national TFA advisory and advocacy group based on technical personals from the ministry, provincial food authorities, INGO/NGOs and media, to oversee the activities, processes and formulation of necessary policies & strategies to eliminate TFA in Pakistan. View More
TFA Advocacy Seminar
31st July ,2019: Heartfile co-hosted an advocacy seminar with @WHOPakistan & Nutrition wing of MoNHSRC in Islamabad to sketch the prevalence and sources of TFA in Pakistani diet and outlined a road map for policymakers and civil society to make Pakistan #TransFatFree by 2023. View More
Leading progress on trans fat elimination in Pakistan
30th July , 2019 :Heartfile and Mexico SaludHable held stakeholder meetings to start joint action on trans-fat elimination in Pakistan and Mexico based on the REPLACE action package. View More
Heartfile TFA Report Dissemination Event
11th July, 2019: Heartfile co-hosted a dissemination event with @WHOPakistan & Nutrition wing of MoNHSRC in Islamabad to share the situational analysis on trans-fats in the Pakistan context & discuss how to make Pakistan Trans-fat free by 2023. View More
Training of advocates on Trans Fats Elimination
27th May, 2019: Heartfile, one of the ten advocates from eight countries attended an NCD Alliance training in Geneva on 22 & 23 May 2019 on the margins of the 72nd World Health Assembly to increase their knowledge and advocacy skills for trans-fat elimination. View More
WHO TFA Elimination Framework
The REPLACE action package provides a strategic approach to eliminating industrially-produced trans fat from national food supplies, with the goal of global elimination by 2023. The package comprises an overarching technical document that provides a rationale and framework for this integrated approach to trans fat elimination, along with six modules and additional web resources to facilitate implementation. Read More
Reports
Trans-Fatty Acid (TFA) Elimination in Pakistan: A situational Analysis
This report by Heartfile presents findings which highlight the dangers of TFA consumption and outlines the necessary steps and regulations for its removal in Pakistan. This report can be accessed here
Trans Fat Free by 2023 Report
This report presents case studies of six countries in different regions of the world that have enacted policies to eliminate industrially-produced trans fatty acids/trans fat (TFA) from their food supply. This report can be accessed here
Trans fat free by 2030 - Advocacy for trans fat elimination
Industrially produced trans-fatty acids have no known health benefits, and can be replaced with healthier alternatives. This webinar features different country experiences with proven strategies to reduce and eliminate exposure to artificial TFAs. This Report can be accessed here.
Policy Briefs
Trans-fatty Acid Elimination in Pakistan: A Policy Brief
The policy brief on Trans-fatty Acids (TFA) in Pakistan has been prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (Nutrition Wing) and by Heartfile. This policy brief outlines the prevalence and sources of Trans-Fatty Acids in Pakistani diet and outlines a roadmap for TFA elimination for policymakers and civil society to consider in Pakistan’s context. This Policy can be accessed here.
Press Coverage
