ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $47.95 million for nutritional needs of children below two years of age, and expecting and breastfeeding mothers.

The bank with the assistance of the International Development Association (IDA) will give $36.24m as low-interest credit to Sindh, and $11.71m to Balochistan, said the World Bank Mission in Islamabad on Saturday.

Around 50 per cent of children under the age of five in Sindh and 52pc in Balochis­tan are stunted with nutritional challenges worsening since 2001, while this ratio in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands at 48pc and in Punjab at 39pc.

Though the project initially focuses on two provinces, it would increase the coverage across the country with the support of development partners.

Enhanced Nutrition for Mothers and Children will target women whose babies are stunted during pregnancy. It would scale up maternal nutrition interventions for women of child-bearing age and focus on antenatal visits and provision of daily iron supplements during pregnancy.

The country is not keen on achieving the nutritional-related Millennium Develop­ment Goal (MGD) target because its performance to improved health and nutritional needs, especially for the poor, is low. However, access to health and nutrition services is better for wealthier and urban people, while malnutrition is hindering economic development.

Malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood thwarts cognitive and physical development, reduces learning ability and educational performance and lowers productivity in adulthood.

According to a study, adults who were malnourished in childhood draw low wages by 34pc to 47pc and their incomes are also redu­ced by 14pc to 28pc. This costs the country some 2.1pc to 4.1pc of the GDP annually.

World Bank Country Di­­re­c­­­tor for Pakistan Rachid Benmessaoud says: “The nut­ritional status of children under five years is worse than the national average in Sindh and Balochistan.

“The project interventions will help the governments of Sindh and Balochistan to focus on building capacity within the provincial departments of health for delivery of nutritional services to address chronic malnutrition”.

Maternal and child health indicators have improved but significant challenges remain. Preliminary findings of the 2011 National Nutrition Survey reveal the rate of child stunting has not changed in Pakistan since 1965. It has high rates of child malnutrition with 44pc stunted, and 22pc severely stunted children.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014