BISP, WFP, WHO, UNICEF Extend Partnership To Protect 3.3 Million Children And Women From Malnutrition In Pakistan.
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), together with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), today announced a three-year extension of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme to protect an additional 3.3 million children and women from malnutrition across Pakistan.
Integrated into BISP, the Benazir Nashonuma Programme delivers nutrition and health services to the most vulnerable pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under the age of two through a nationwide network of 578 facilitation centres and 224 nutrition stabilization centres. Since its launch in 2020, the programme has reached 4.7 million people. With this extension, its total reach is expected to increase to 8 million people.
Government and UN Commitments to Child Health
“The Government of Pakistan is proud to strengthen this vital partnership,” said Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson, BISP. “Our commitment to the Benazir Nashonuma Programme remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to expanding its reach and effectiveness to ensure that every child in Pakistan has the opportunity for a healthy start in life, setting the foundation for a brighter and more prosperous future.”
The partnership aims to consolidate a science-based initiative that has achieved some of the strongest results ever documented globally for a nutrition programme. Children enrolled in the programme were 22 percent less likely to be stunted at six months of age.
In Pakistan, four in every ten children under five are stunted as a result of chronic malnutrition – equivalent to 10 million children – while wasting stands at 17.7 percent, affecting 5 million children and contributing to an estimated annual economic loss of USD 17 billion.
The Benazir Nashonuma Programme addresses these challenges by embedding nutrition services within Pakistan’s national social protection system. Evidence generated also found improved maternal nutrition and child survival, increased uptake of antenatal care, healthier pregnancy weight gain, and improved birth outcomes.
Driving Systemic Impact Through Collaborative Support
Anita Hirsch, WFP Representative and Country Director in Pakistan, stated that the results are extremely promising for the prevention of child malnutrition, noting that the extension will allow WFP to continue supporting the government in scaling these vital operations.
Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, commended the government’s leadership in advancing nutrition-responsive social protection. She emphasized that investing in the nutrition of vulnerable mothers, adolescent girls, and children is ultimately an fundamental investment in Pakistan’s future.
WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Luo Dapeng, highlighted that the programme’s success proves the power of integrated, science-based approaches across health, nutrition, social protection, WASH, food systems, and education. He reiterated WHO’s readiness to leverage science to protect mothers and children across all demographics.
Through this renewed partnership, the Government of Pakistan, BISP, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO will continue working together to strengthen nutrition and health services, protect the most vulnerable women and children, and build a healthier, more resilient future for Pakistan.
