Multisectoral Nutrition Strategy tomorrow

Islamabad: The Ministry of Planning Development and Reform with technical support from the World Food Programme will launch the Pakistan Multisectoral Nutrition Strategy 2018-25 here tomorrow (Wednesday).

The document was developed through a comprehensive consultative process, involving national and sub-national level stakeholders, and was linked with the provincial Intersectoral Nutrition Strategies, aligned with the Pakistan Vision 2025 and Sustainable Development Goals. The document was prepared taking inputs of all the sectors.

The strategy guides and provides an overarching framework for developing a strategy plan for increased coverage or scaled up equitable and high-quality nutrition services including both sensitive and specific interventions.

Malnutrition is a multi-faceted issue, its solution lies in concerted efforts of diverse sectors which are engaged in multisectoral planning, sectoral implementation and multi-sectoral monitoring, accountability and learning. This requires an enabling environment to shape political, institutional and policy processes for improved nutrition in the country.

Pakistan is among the fast growing economies of the world with exciting economic growth rates and yet, the burden of malnutrition has not much improved over the decades. Malnutrition not only adversely effects country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but seriously impacts on the country’s most important asset- the future human resource.