Pakistan Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategy 2018-2025.

The goal of this Pakistan Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategy 2018-2025 is: Significantly and sustainably reduce the burden of malnutrition in the country with focus on most marginalized and disadvantage segments of the populations.
The national objectives for reduction in key indicators of undernutrition from WHA/SDG include: 40% reduction in stunting among children <5 years; 50% reduction in anaemia among women of reproductive age; 30% reduction in low birth weight; reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%; and increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding to at least 50%. The main nutrition sensitive interventions and thematic areas under Agriculture and Food Security include: Boosting agricultural production and distribution; adopting crops with improved nutrient content; implementing drought management and mitigation; and other interventions increase household incomes and enhances access to diverse diets and can improve food security.
Optimal nutrition is fundamental to achieve sustainable development and promote resilience. The Policy promotes to ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, and help maintain ecosystems.
The Policy seeks to contribute to rural poverty reduction. The potential activities proposed in the Policy include: 1. Explore possibilities of public-private partnerships to enhance access and supply of diverse and high quality foods to marginalized populations by developing mechanisms to protect commercial risk and regulatory policies aiming to attract private sector investment; 2.Conduct gender focused activities including increasing participation of women in small farming enterprises including poultry and kitchen gardening; 3. Assess the feasibility of providing subsidized food to marginalized women and children in high risk, poor and victims of cataclysmic events; 4. Advocacy to secure political support for setting clear targets for access to quality and clean water, open-defecation-free environment, toilet and latrines and other WASH measures; 5. Research and development to identity optimal technologies and messages to reach marginalized communities with clean drinking water and improved sanitation; 6. Developing community level public-private partnership for building water and sanitation projects, particularly in remote areas; etc.
As increased farm productivity, more efficient food distribution and improved food processing quality and safety leads are closely linked to nutrition status, the potential activities proposed in the Policy include: 1. Comprehensive portfolio of research and development, program planning and resource mobilization to increase productivity of the farming system. 2. Actions to increase efficiencies in the food supply chain and promote the applications of modern technology and engineering to reduce post-harvest losses. 3. Sensitizing policymakers and representatives of relevant sectors regarding correlation of agriculture/livestock/fisheries with nutrition. 4. Increase capacity of agriculture extension workers to deliver nutrition messages like growing off-season value-added fruits, using new seed varieties or reducing post-harvest losses as well as delivering nutrition specific messages to the community. 5. Introduce/ strengthen the farmer markets for easy access to fresh and diverse food.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, actions are suggested: 1. Develop appropriate mix of evidence-based nutrition-focused activities to be included in cash transfer programs including nutrition conditionality for assistance as well as direct food assistance as food product, food voucher or other means. 2. Develop national preparedness plans and guidelines for incorporating nutrition objectives and interventions into emergency relief programs. 3. Capacity of health systems and other stakeholders should be developed so they can be effectively and efficiently utilized during emergency to provide appropriate nutrition care to children and women.
The Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Secretariat in collaboration with the relevant ministries will provide key support to both federal and provincial stakeholders in planning, coordination, resource mobilization and capacity development as well as developing an enabling regulatory and administrative environment. The SUN secretariat serves as a bridge between provincial, national and international stakeholders and provides the platform for multi- sectoral and multi-stakeholder coordination and harmonizing the efforts for progress at Pakistan level.