Islamabad: In a crucial collaboration addressing Pakistan’s childhood malnutrition crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) are providing life-saving treatment to 43,000 severely malnourished children under two years of age each year at 169 nutrition stabilization centres (NSCs) nationwide.
With an exceptional recovery rate of over 98 percent—well above the global benchmark—the partnership is now set to expand, aiming to reach even more vulnerable children and their caregivers in the coming months.
BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid and WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo said on Tuesday and reaffirmed their commitment during a joint visit to the Nutrition Stabilization Centre at the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad. The visit marked a renewed push to strengthen the existing collaboration under the BISP’s Nashonuma programme.
“I am truly thankful to the World Health Organisation for this valuable partnership. BISP is working across Pakistan, and with WHO’s support, we aim to reach even more vulnerable families. We want to strengthen and expand our efforts so that no mother or child is left behind,” Senator Rubina Khalid stated. “Healthy mothers and children are the foundation of a strong and prosperous Pakistan. This is not just an option — it is our responsibility.”
Since 2022, WHO-supported NSCs funded by BISP have treated 46,000 children with severe acute malnutrition and counselled more than 64,000 mothers and caregivers. In 2025, WHO will support 199 stabilisation centres—169 funded through BISP—with the goal of treating nearly 80,000 children under five and providing counselling to 120,000 caregivers nationwide.
“This 98% cure rate is an excellent result and reflects the good work, but even a single child lost to malnutrition is already one too many,” said Dr Dapeng Luo. “These children are not just numbers; each of them has a story, and a family with dreams for their future.
WHO remains fully committed to expanding our collaboration with BISP to address both existing and emerging challenges like climate change, which is exacerbating acute malnutrition in Pakistan.”
The WHO’s comprehensive support spans technical guidance, staffing, operational infrastructure, therapeutic supplies, and evidence-based counselling. The collaboration also involves a strong referral network among WHO, Unicef, and the World Food Programme (WFP).
While WFP leads prevention and detection in communities, UNICEF supports outpatient care and refers the most critical cases to WHO. Families also often bring children directly to NSCs in life-threatening conditions.
Despite these efforts, Pakistan remains among the ten worst-affected countries globally, with more than half of its under-five population suffering from either stunting or wasting. The prevalence of stunting stands at 40 per cent—affecting 10 million children—while 17.7 percent suffer from wasting, equating to 5 million children.
The economic and developmental toll of this crisis is staggering. Acute malnutrition, worsened by climate-related shocks, causes an estimated annual loss of $17 billion—around 6.4 percent of Pakistan’s Gross National Income (GNI).
Experts from WHO and BISP agree: the cost of inaction is far greater than that of investment in early detection, treatment, and prevention. As the partnership deepens, the focus remains clear—no child in Pakistan should suffer or die from a preventable and treatable condition like malnutrition.
Published in News Daily on 04-June-2025.
