KARACHI, Feb 17 (APP):The Benazir Nashonuma Programme, a flagship conditional cash transfer initiative aimed at preventing stunting during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, has demonstrated a 6.4 percentage point reduction in stunting among children aged 6 – 23 months, along with significant improvements in maternal dietary diversity and reductions in low birth weight.
This was revealed in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan, Ms Coco Ushiyama, at the CM House on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Minister Education Sardar Shah, Minister Labour & Social Protection Saeed Ghani, Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, Secretary Health Tahir Sangi, Secretary Social Protection Khandim Channa and Secretary to the CM Asif Jameel. The WFP delegation, including Ms Hilde Bergsma, Head of Provincial Office Sindh, Ms Salma Yaqub, Programme Policy Officer, Sindh and Mr Rustam Khan, Programme Policy Officer WFP.
The meeting focused on the launch of the School Meals Programme and discussed the findings of the Aga Khan University midline evaluation of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP).
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, a flagship conditional cash transfer initiative aimed at preventing stunting during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
According to the midline evaluation conducted by Aga Khan University, the programme has demonstrated a 6.4 percentage point reduction in stunting among children aged 6–23 months, along with significant improvements in maternal dietary diversity and reductions in low birth weight.
Terming the results “highly encouraging”, the Chief Minister said the reduction in stunting and low birth weight “proves that targeted nutrition interventions combined with social protection can deliver measurable human capital gains”. He reiterated Sindh’s commitment to strengthening coordination between the health, education, and planning departments to scale up evidence-based nutrition interventions.
Country Director of WFP Pakistan, Ms Coco Ushiyama, appreciated the provincial government’s efforts and commitments in making the stunting reduction programme a success.
The WFP Country Director briefed the Chief Minister on the five-years $ 40 million School Meals Programme. The initiative, titled “Kal Ki Bunyad – Foundation for the Future,” will target 100,000 students in 614 government schools in Malir and Keamari districts of Karachi.
The programme aims to improve children’s nutritional status through daily school meals, strengthen literacy outcomes using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, rehabilitate WASH facilities, and institutionalise a sustainable provincial school meals model.
While appreciating WFP’s continued support to Sindh, the Chief Minister said, “Our objective is not just to feed children, but to nourish them with the most efficient and sustainable model possible.”
Shah said that the provincial education department is working rigorously to ensure the student and teachers’ presence in the schools while using the digitalised solutions and monitoring the learning process of the students. School Meals Programme, funded by McGovern Dole – United States Department of Agriculture, provided an opportunity to work closely with key stakeholders to take the agenda further to other regions of the province.
Concluding the meeting, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the Sindh government’s aims to institutionalise school feeding and maternal nutrition initiatives through sustainable provincial frameworks. “Investing in nutrition is investing in Sindh’s future. Our focus is on building strong systems that the province can own and expand,” he said.
The WFP delegation appreciated the provincial government’s leadership and reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with Sindh to advance food security, child nutrition, and resilience initiatives.