Experts urge govt to rethink moving Nutrition Wing to Planning Commission

Amidst growing speculation that the Nutrition Wing at Pakistan’s Ministry of Health may be abolished and transferred to the Planning Commission, Unicef, World Health Organisation and World Food Programme representatives have urged authorities to reconsider the decision. Experts from Pakistan’s leading health and research institutions, including Aga Khan University (AKU), along with international health scientists like Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta, have called on the government to rethink the move, warning that it could severely impact efforts to combat severe acute malnutrition, stunting and wasting in the country. Instead, Prof. Bhutta recommended strengthening both the federal and provincial health and nutrition directorates. “Effective programmes to combat under-nutrition in women and children rely on multi-sectoral initiatives, with significant contributions from direct health and nutrition programmes, such as maternal health, infant feeding and malnutrition treatment,” he said. “These efforts are supported by indirect initiatives, including improvements in water and sanitation, women’s empowerment, education, family planning and poverty alleviation. Coordinated action, along with effective monitoring, evaluation and accountability, is essential, with political will and good governance playing a crucial role.”