Nutrition situation
Under five stunting (%)
37.6
Under five overweight (%)
2.5
Anaemia in women 15-49 years (%)
52.1
Under five wasting (%)
7.1
Low birth weight (%)
n.a.
0 to 5-month-old exclusive breastfeeding (%)
47.5
Adolescent overweight (%)
Male: 9.4
/ Female: 9
Adult overweight (%)
Male: 25.7
/ Female: 31.3
Adult obesity (%)
Male: 6
/ Female: 11.3
Adult diabetes (%)
Male: 12.6
/ Female: 12.1
COVID-19 snapshot
The Ehsaas Programme (Social Safety Net and Social Protection) now includes nutrition-specific services for the poorest communities, including food ration packs. Civil society and United Nations network coordinated with authorities to mobilise domestic philanthropy, technical and financial support for COVID-19 response.
Institutional transformations 2019-2020
Bringing people together into a shared space for action
Multi Sector Platforms (MSPs) are active in all provinces. The new Pakistan National Nutrition Coordination Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, includes six ministers and all MSPs. The National Nutrition Forum (PC) and Nutrition Advisory Group (MoH) provide support. SUN Business Network (SBN) is working on food fortification coordination. SUN strategies are now linked with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) platforms and will work with government to incorporate nutrition in annual development plans.Ensuring a coherent policy and legal framework
Growth Strategy. Provincial fortification strategies were endorsed. Early Childhood Development (ECD) is now integrated into SUN for development of ECD policy framework. Civil society advocates working with 14 new Parliamentary Champions for the constitutional right to nutrition and parliamentary oversight on nutrition policy and programme implementation. Food authorities expanded their role to new districts.Aligning actions around common results
The National Nutrition Action Plan is under development and will prioritise actions and resource mobilisation. SUN provincial units are better coordinated with SDGs platforms of the Annual Development Programme 2019–20 via the national stunting programme. SBN is adding workplace nutrition to its focus. SUN Networks now have comprehensive action plans to implement the Common Results Framework. Social protection now has a nutrition dashboard to help alignment. Joint monitoring is the next goal.Financial tracking and resource mobilisation
The government has set nutrition as a national priority and financing of provincial nutrition action plans is rising. Several new nutrition initiatives were started under social protection for the most affected communities. Feasibility of public sector nutrition projects are assessed on a cost-per-beneficiary basis. The government is working on a weighting formula to gage the nutrition cost share of nutritionsensitive programmes.2020-2021 Priorities
- Cost and finalise the Multisectoral National Nutrition Action Plan.
- Develop an ECD policyframework and plan of action.
- Develop a multisectoral nutrition information management system.
- Use Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) potential to develop and promote nutritious foods.
- Develop a National Nutrition Awareness Programme.
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