Nutrition emergency

MALNUTRITION has become one of the biggest obstacles to Pakistan’s development. Around 40pc of children under five are stunted, a figure that should trouble us not only because of what it says about child health, but because of what it means for the country’s future. Children who do not get the nutrition they need in their earliest years are more likely to struggle with learning, health and productivity later in life. The damage can follow them into adulthood and, in many cases, into the next generation. Pakistan is also estimated to lose nearly $17bn every year because of malnutrition and undernutrition. That makes it an economic and development problem as well. DawnMedia’s Act for Nutrition conference, to be held in Islamabad next month, seeks to bring that broader understanding into the national conversation. This is important because stunting does not have a single cause. A family may not be able to afford nutritious food. A child may repeatedly fall ill because of unsafe water or poor sanitation. A mother may not receive proper nutrition or healthcare during pregnancy. Weak primary healthcare, poor feeding practices, poverty and rapid population growth can all reinforce the same cycle.

The harder question is what happens after the discussion ends. Pakistan has had nutrition programmes and official commitments before, but progress has remained far too slow. The response has to be practical and sustained. Mothers need better nutrition and antenatal support. Families need access to clean water, sanitation and reliable primary healthcare. Breastfeeding support, micronutrient supplementation, food fortification and regular growth monitoring must reach communities consistently rather than through scattered initiatives. Social protection programmes should also do more to identify and assist mothers and children who are most at risk. Just as importantly, governments need to know where they are failing. District-level nutrition data should be published regularly and used to direct resources where needed most. Conferences are important as they bring officials, doctors, economists, development partners and civil society together, but the real measure of success will be what follows: clear responsibilities, adequate funding and results that can be tracked. Pakistan has discussed malnutrition for years. What is needed now is the persistence to treat it as the national development challenge it already is.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2026

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