{
  "id": 5242644,
  "title": "Social protection must reach most vulnerable families, say speakers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/social-protection-must-reach-most-vulnerable-families-say-speakers",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-03T04:14:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2027122/social-protection-must-reach-most-vulnerable-families-say-speakers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two and a half billion individuals globally lack the means to lead a healthy life, according to speakers at a conference in Islamabad. The gathering, titled \"Act For Nutrition: A Conference on Malnutrition and Stunted Growth in Pakistan,\" was organized by the Dawn Media Group. In the second session, focusing on \"Global and Regional Current Realities,\" experts emphasized the need for social protection to reach the most vulnerable families, greater emphasis on gender equality, and the improvement of nutritional values.\n\nNora Hobbs, Asia Pacific Regional Nutrition Advisor at the World Food Programme, highlighted that 83% of malnourished children reside in developing nations. Stunting, she said, is an issue of inequality and affordability of food, particularly prevalent in countries like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. She proposed sharing regional knowledge among governments.\n\nDr Aminah Jahangir, Regional Lead at the Aga Khan Foundation, mentioned that their organization serves various regions, with success attributed to a system of accountability. However, she noted that climate change is making the situation more challenging.\n\nDr Srikanth Eadara of Scaling Up Nutrition pointed out that food prices are rising, and obesity is also on the increase. Dr Ravi Rannan-Eliya from Sri Lanka stated that a century ago, health-related issues were more common, but improvements came with increased literacy.\n\nDr Syed Abdul Hamid from Bangladesh reported positive trends in his country since the current administration took charge. Widya Buenastuti from Indonesia mentioned the country's 17,000 islands, highlighting efforts to bring health services closer to people's homes. Dr Irshad Danish, a Pakistani nutrition expert, emphasized the importance of primary healthcare workers, such as Lady Health Workers, who have significantly contributed to health improvements since their introduction in 1994. However, he noted that their efforts suffered due to funding cuts and bans on new recruitments by provinces.",
  "summary": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2027071",
  "key_points": [
    "2.5 billion people globally lack means to lead healthy life",
    "Social protection needed for vulnerable families, experts say",
    "Climate change complicates efforts to improve nutrition"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The call for social protection to reach vulnerable families marks a push for targeted interventions to address malnutrition and stunted growth, shifting focus to those most in need of support.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}