In Pakistan, 41.7% of women suffer from anaemia, 14.4% are underweight, and 24% are overweight . Undoubtedly, such grim indicators call for concerted action to improve maternal nutrition in the country, which if not addressed, could cost the nation a generation of under-nourished children and huge human capital and economic losses.
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To tackle this urgent challenge, federal and provincial governments and other key stakeholders signed the ‘Bhurban Declaration’ today to reaffirm their commitment to enhance maternal nutrition in the country. The declaration was signed at the “National Policy Dialogue on Economic Case for Maternal Nutrition’, jointly organized by Nutrition International and the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSRC).
The declaration, endorsed by the MoNHSRC, provincial health departments of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and other stakeholders including Nutrition International, WHO, UNICEF, World Food Program, and others, pledges to accelerate the implementation of ‘Pakistan Maternal Nutrition Strategy 2022-27′ through a unified maternal nutrition package that spans from pre-conception to postpartum care. It commits to integrating maternal nutrition into existing health services and universal health coverage frameworks, increasing public funding for maternal nutrition programs and strengthening preparedness and response mechanisms for addressing women’s nutritional needs during emergencies.
“The current maternal nutrition indicators underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition”, said Dr. Fouzia Hanif, Deputy Director, Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health and Nutrition, MoNHSRC. Emphasizing the critical role of maternal health in the overall development of society and its significant impact on the health of future generations, Dr. Fouzia called for collective and coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to develop a holistic approach built on Pakistan Costed Multi-Sectoral National Nutrition Action Plan 2023-2030, already endorsed by MoNHSRC. She expressed hope that the declaration will serve as a powerful testament to make sustained progress towards advancing maternal nutrition in Pakistan.
The declaration comes at an opportune time when the country is taking account of its past commitments made at the Tokyo 2021 Nutrition For Growth (N4G) Summit, while simultaneously preparing ambitious targets focused on improving the nutrition of women and girls and reducing anaemia for committing at the Paris 2025 N4G Summit. This year also marks the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement’s Global Gathering where the Government of Pakistan will present progress made to address malnutrition in the country.
Maternal nutrition has been a long-standing issue in Pakistan, significantly impacting both mothers’ and children’s health. The National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan 2018 reveals that women of reproductive age (WRA) face a triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, overweight, and micronutrient deficiencies. According to the Cost of Inaction Tool, developed by Nutrition International, anaemia in adolescent girls and women in Pakistan costs the economy USD 595 million annually, which accounts for 0.2% of the Gross National Income . If no action is taken to address these challenges, 23.9 million new cases of anaemia among girls and women could emerge every year2. Clearly, the need for investing and accelerating action towards maternal nutrition is urgent and critical.
“For more than two decades, Nutrition International has been a key ally to the Government of Pakistan improving the nutrition status of women, adolescent girls and children,” said Dr. Irfanullah, Deputy Country Director – Pakistan for Nutrition International. He added, “Our efforts focus on providing essential micronutrient supplementation, strengthening the capacity of healthcare providers, and ensuring quality care for positive pregnancy outcomes and safe births. Nutrition International fully supports the declaration and is dedicated to working collaboratively with the government and other stakeholders to achieve these goals”.
