Affected by political turmoil, Pakistan has faced numerous socioeconomic challenges. By 2018, these issues culminated in record levels of poverty, with more than 39% of Pakistan living below the poverty line. Amid widespread unemployment, the government has also grappled with nutritional poverty, particularly affecting the youth. This has led to significant issues, such as nationwide stunting in growth, which is directly linked to these dietary deficiencies. Here are some of the initiatives that are tackling these problems:

Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Program

This initiative, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, offers vocational training in various industries, helping young people haul themselves out of poverty and find work. With more than 25,000 youths trained nationwide, the program has played a crucial role in decreasing national poverty. Most notably, the focal point concentrating on an intake of 35% girls has ensured that the marginalized remain a focus. Ultimately, these efforts have contributed to the limitation of poverty and increased job prospects among the youth.

The Sehat Sahulat Program

Initially launched in 2015, the Sehat Sahulat Program is a social health insurance initiative providing free health care services for Pakistan’s underprivileged groups. As a result of the program, the most disadvantaged are supported by free health care. The initiative covers a range of conditions, including cancer and diabetes. Ultimately, the scheme provides financial protection and access to sustainable, quality health care to those most in need.

UNICEF Nutrition Counseling

With more than a third of children suffering from severe food poverty, the country faces an endemic in which its young are at a heightened risk of malnutrition and an unbalanced, scarce diet. The United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) initiative develops cooking demonstrations tailored to new and soon-to-be mothers, ensuring their children can be fed and energized correctly.

Alongside nutritional education, the sessions aim to educate women about the importance of hygiene and its strict relationship with food, with a particular emphasis placed on washing hands before and after preparing food. This focus has been adopted worldwide and in 2022, UNICEF counseling reached 79.3 million people globally.

Combat Against Nationwide Stunting

In Pakistan, more than 40% of children younger than 5 are stunted. A product of long-term malnutrition, stunting “impairs cognitive and physical development, which in turn impacts a child’s potential and productivity.’’ With a large proportion of pregnant women living below the poverty line, many children experience stunted growth in the womb due to their mothers’ poor diet, leading to inhibited development.

The government has launched several initiatives to fight malnutrition to address this issue, with the Ehsaas Nashonuma Program being the most prominent. The program provides nutritional education and cash transfers to pregnant or nursing women. The quarterly stipend is about $5 for mothers and boys and $7 for girls. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have also played a crucial role in the fight against stunting. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services (WASH) initiatives have thrived with the support of NGOs like HANDS. In 2022-23, HANDS conducted 16 WASH projects in 34 districts and nearly 2,000 villages in Pakistan, benefiting more than 1.8 million people.

Nutritional awareness is fundamental to the resurgence of the health of the next generation in Pakistan, pulling them out of poverty. The government has guaranteed that various schemes are in place to tackle widespread poverty. Additionally, it has ensured that the health and hygiene of the population of Pakistan are also addressed. It’s both transparent and reassuring that while the government recognizes this importance, various NGOs share the same concern.

– Jonny Wilkinson

Jonny is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

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