ISLAMABAD: Italy will provide an amount Rs500 million to Pakistan for the improvement of overall health conditions of children and pregnant and lactating women in remote, non developed areas of Balochistan under the nutritious food project of the government’s social protection programme.

An agreement for this purpose was signed here on Tuesday and notes were exchanged by director general of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Naveed Akhtar, co-director in Italy for Pakistan Italy Debt Swap Agreement (PIDSA) Pietro Del Sette and PIDSA co-director in Pakistan Islam Zaib.

The programme will facilitate 16,000 children under two years of age, by providing them specialised nutritious food and taking care of immunisation and regular health checks of mother and child in flood-affected districts of Balochistan including Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar and Lasbella.

Benazir Nashonuma Programme of BISP has been launched for improving the overall health conditions of children, and pregnant and lactating women in targeted districts of under-developed areas of the country.

The Nashonuma Programme’s objective is to prevent stunting in children under 2 years of age, improved weight gain of pregnant women during pregnancy, reduced anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, improved awareness of maternal and early child health and nutrition, reduced disease burden through improved uptake of available health and nutrition services, and prevention of low birth weight.

The whole programme covers 156 districts of Pakistan through the World Food Programme and Benazir Income Support Programme. To achieve the desired objectives, an amount of Euros 20 million from German state-owned investment and development bank — KfW grant — has also been secured.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2023