Seven countries meet in Islamabad to shape global action on malnutrition, social protection

A three-day global meeting opened in Islamabad on Monday, bringing together representatives from seven countries to discuss how social protection programmes can reduce malnutrition. This comes in light of an evaluation by Aga Khan University that found that stunting at six months of age was 20 percent lower among children enrolled in the programme. Officials note that this is one of the strongest documented nutrition impacts achieved at scale in Pakistan. Pakistan and Timor-Leste are co-hosting the event, with the World Food Programme (WFP) facilitating the discussions that focus on evidence, country experiences, and future action. The Nashonuma Programme was launched in 2020 with support from WFP, UNICEF, and WHO. It provides targeted assistance to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under two.