Civil society organizations in Pakistan have called for decisive action to ban partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from the national food supply. The move, made on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, aims to eliminate a major source of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) to address the country's growing diabetes crisis.
The TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign, led by Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), is supported by several organizations including CPDI, PANAH, and Heartfile. These groups argue that creating a healthier food environment is a necessary part of addressing the escalating burden of diabetes in the country.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 35 million adults in Pakistan were living with diabetes in 2025. The IDF states this places Pakistan among the nations with the highest diabetes prevalence rates globally. Without urgent and effective policy action, the IDF projects this figure will reach 70 million by 2050.
The crisis is also creating a significant economic strain, with the annual cost of managing diabetes in Pakistan exceeding US$2.6 billion.
Mr Munawar Hussain, Senior Health and Nutrition Policy Expert, stated that the crisis is not just a healthcare or economic challenge but requires urgent action to transform the food environment. He said: “Pakistan’s diabetes crisis is not merely a healthcare or economic challenge; it demands urgent action to transform the food environment that shapes people’s diets and everyday food choices. Prevention must begin with evidence-based, conflict-of-interest-free food policies and standards that reduce consumption of ingredients of public health concern in processed foods, including excessive salt, sugar, saturated fats, industrial trans fats, and non-sugar sweeteners.”
Mr Sanaullah Ghumman, Secretary General at Pakistan National Heart Association, argued that consumers have a right to know what is in their food. He advocated for mandatory, clear, and easy-to-understand Front-of-Pack Warning Labels based on independent scientific evidence to make excessive levels of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats visible.
Dr Saba Amjad, CEO of Heartfile, emphasized that the responsibility for prevention should not fall solely on the consumer. She stated: “Consumers cannot be expected to bear the entire responsibility for preventing diabetes while the food environment continues to expose them to unhealthy products. Decisive policy action is urgently needed. We cannot afford to wait while preventable diseases and deaths continue to rise.”
Areebah Shahid, Executive Director of PYCA, called for public health policies to remain free from the commercial interests of the food and beverage industries. She insisted that decisions regarding food standards and the elimination of PHOs must be transparent, evidence-based, and protected by robust conflict-of-interest safeguards, noting that public health must always take precedence over commercial interests.
