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ISLAMABAD: Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan on Friday assured Pakistan of full cooperation to tackle the issue of malnutrition and stunting as she concluded her four day visit to the country.
“We will work on providing resources to Pakistan to tackle these issues,” she said while mentioning her trip to a stunting prevention model in Balochistan province.
In her role as a special adviser to the WFP on mother and child health and nutrition, the princess during her visit to Pakistan saw first-hand different initiatives to address barriers to good health and nutrition of the country’s children.
“By tackling malnutrition, especially stunting, we are helping children reach their full potential and break the cycle of poverty,” the princess said. She was accompanied by officials of the Islamic Development Bank.
She also lauded the efforts of the WFP in supporting Pakistani government to address the issue of malnutrition especially in rural areas of Balochistan province.
The princess also attended a nutrition awareness session in Balochistan where she interacted with mothers and lady health workers, according to the WFP.
The WFP is supporting Pakistan government in addressing malnutrition that affects 12 million or two-thirds of children, in Pakistan. Two-thirds of households across Pakistan cannot afford a nutritious diet while only 3 percent of children receive the right quality and quantity of foods, according to the recently released National Nutrition Survey.
During her meetings with top government officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, the princess advocated for the partners to focus more on the first 1,000 days — from pregnancy to two years – as a strategy to reduce malnutrition.
The princess, together with representatives from the Islamic Development Bank, also met Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of National Health Services, Regulation and Services, Dr. Zafar Mirza; the UN Resident Coordinator, representative of UN agencies and donors.
Dr. Zafar Mirza informed the princess during the meeting that the government has prepared a program valuing Rs538 billion to address the issue of malnutrition and stunted growth.
“We are working closely with the provinces to meet the challenge,” Mirza added.
The WFP said that it is committed to supporting the government of Pakistan in ensuring that every child gets the right nutrition — an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Government’s Vision 2025.
The government along with the WFP is striving to achieve a target that children under-5, adolescent girls and women or reproductive age, has improved nutrition in line with national targets for 2025.