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ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP): Pakistan has emerged as a global leader in the fight against child malnutrition, achieving results that health experts describe as “rarely seen in public health history.”
According to an independent midterm evaluation by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Global Health and Development, the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP)-a flagship initiative of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)-has reduced child stunting by 6.4 percent in target populations.
This breakthrough, announced at a high-level event attended by federal and provincial health representatives, is being hailed internationally as one of the strongest documented impacts of any large-scale nutrition programme to date.
The evaluation revealed that children enrolled in Nashonuma interventions saw major improvements in growth and survival.
Stunting among children under five fell by 6.4 percent compared to non-beneficiaries, while the prevalence of low birth weight declined by 5.6 percent. Equally remarkable, the proportion of babies born too small or too weak dropped by 7 to 8 percent—an outcome that few global nutrition initiatives have ever achieved at scale.
Perhaps the most striking finding came from infants whose mothers joined the programme during pregnancy and continued through breastfeeding.
In these cases, researchers documented a 20 percent reduction in stunting at six months of age. Experts emphasize that if this result is sustained and reconfirmed in the 2026 endline evaluation, it will represent a global milestone in maternal and child health.
The evaluation also reported improvements in early initiation of breastfeeding, immunization coverage, and antenatal care visits, underscoring the comprehensive design of Nashonuma, which addresses multiple dimensions of health.
BISP Chairperson, Senator Rubina Khalid described the findings as a validation of Pakistan’s approach to combining social protection with nutrition support. “The findings provide clear evidence that social protection, when linked with nutrition interventions, delivers meaningful results for vulnerable women and children,” she said.
“Scaling up the programme is essential to address Pakistan’s high burden of malnutrition and to strengthen our human capital. Healthier mothers are the foundation of a healthier nation. Pakistan’s success with Nashonuma proves to the world that large-scale solutions to malnutrition are not only possible, but effective.”
Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at AKU, emphasized the long-term benefits of the initiative: “These results demonstrate that investing in early nutrition pays off for generations to come. The Nashonuma Programme is showing measurable progress in reducing stunting, lowering low birth weight, and improving maternal and child health. The evidence is among the strongest observed globally and represents a powerful return on investment.”
Launched in 2020, the Benazir Nashonuma Programme has already reached more than 3.5 million women and children across 156 districts, supported through a network of over 540 facilitation centres nationwide.
The programme is grounded in rigorous scientific evidence, including cluster randomized trials conducted between 2014 and 2019, which shaped its integrated model. Its services cover a wide spectrum: antenatal and postnatal care, immunization support, social and behaviour change communication, treatment of acute malnutrition, conditional cash transfers, and specialized, locally produced nutritious food supplements.
These interventions are implemented in close partnership with UN agencies including the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, ensuring alignment with international standards and best practices.
Nationally, 40 percent of children under five are stunted, 28 percent underweight, and more than half affected by anaemia or other micronutrient deficiencies.
The consequences are severe—limiting children’s growth, learning ability, school readiness, and long-term productivity. Experts warn that without urgent interventions, these challenges could undermine Pakistan’s human capital and economic growth.
However, Nashonuma’s midterm results demonstrate that evidence-based, large-scale programmes can reverse entrenched trends if implemented effectively and consistently.
As South Asia’s largest social protection programme, BISP is uniquely placed to drive national progress against malnutrition.
With Nashonuma, Pakistan has not only made measurable advances at home but also provided valuable global evidence on how to combine social protection and nutrition interventions for maximum impact.
Health specialists say the programme’s success can inspire other developing countries struggling with child malnutrition.
By linking financial support to essential health and nutrition services, Pakistan has demonstrated that malnutrition is not an unsolvable problem, but one that can be tackled with the right mix of policy, science, and community outreach.
The next milestone for Nashonuma will be the endline evaluation in 2026, which will confirm whether these midterm gains have been sustained or expanded. If the results hold, Pakistan will not only mark a historic national achievement but also establish itself as a global leader in child nutrition solutions.
For now, the midterm findings offer a rare story of hope: a large-scale, government-led programme that is changing lives, strengthening futures, and proving that with commitment and innovation, even the most persistent public health challenges can be overcome.