Act for Nutrition conference: Experts call for food, nutritional security to be recognised as fundamental rights amid malnutrition crisis

A two-day international conference, 'Act For Nutrition: The Emergency We Can No Longer Ignore', concluded in Islamabad on Thursday. Experts emphasized the need to recognize food and nutritional security as fundamental rights amidst Pakistan's persistent malnutrition crisis. More than 40% of children under five in the country were found to be stunted, costing the nation around $17 billion annually.

The conference brought together policymakers, international development leaders, health professionals, and nutrition experts to tackle the growing issue and push for urgent, coordinated action. World Health Organisation official Dr Dapeng Luo stressed that malnutrition remains the "greatest barrier" to health, development, and opportunities, calling for "predictable and solid regulation" to address the issue.

WFP's Country Director for Pakistan, Anita Hirsch, highlighted the progress of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, which showed that nutrition can be integrated into national social protection. She stressed that addressing malnutrition requires a multisectoral approach, encompassing health, education, women's empowerment, and behavior change.

The conference's final session, 'Stronger Together — The Pakistan Nutrition Pact', called for the government to appoint dedicated nutrition coordinators and focal persons at national and international levels.