A two-day international conference, ‘Act For Nutrition: The Emergency We Can No Longer Ignore’, is being held at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel on Pakistan’s persistent nutrition and stunting crisis.
With more than 40 per cent of children under five stunted, a maternal mortality rate of 155 deaths per 100,000 live births, and malnutrition costing Pakistan upwards of $17 billion annually, the country stands at a crossroads: continue on the current trajectory and surrender an entire generation’s potential, or choose a different future.
The two-day conference is bringing together policymakers, international development leaders, health professionals and nutrition experts to confront the burgeoning crisis and build momentum for urgent, coordinated action.
The focus of discussions will be on moving the national conversation beyond statistics towards practical, measurable interventions that can improve nutrition outcomes and protect Pakistan’s human capital and future generations.
View the full agenda here.
10:55am - Session on global and regional realities begins
The session on global and regional realities has now begun.
10:52am - UN official says nutrition should not be activated only after a crisis
Pernille Ironside, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Pakistan, said that communities must be at the heart of the response to malnutrition and stunting.
“Investing in front line workers and community-based platforms and listening to communities themselves can strengthen the uptake of essential services and practices, reinforce local ownership and ensure that women and children most at risk are reached,” she said.
She said that Pakistan knew better than most how quickly climate disasters, economic shocks and displacement can undermine years of development programmes.
“Nutrition, therefore, cannot be something we activate only after a crisis. It needs to be built into the preparedness, into the anticipatory action and the shock responsive systems so that vulnerable families are identified beforehand,” she said.
10:46am - UN official says malnutrition an ‘emergency we can no longer ignore’
Pernille Ironside, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Pakistan, said that malnutrition was an “emergency we can no longer ignore”.
“When we talk about nutrition, we are not only talking about what a child eats. We are talking about whether a child reaches their full potential. We are talking about the strength of Pakistan’s capital. Nutrition is not only a health issue, it’s a development issue, an economic issue and an issue of equity and opportunity,” she said.
She said that children living in poorer and remote areas were more likely to be left behind. She also said that at the same time, Pakistan faced a growing burden of obesity-related diseases.
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