Day 1

Published August 7, 2026 Updated August 7, 2026 12:04pm

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SESSION 1: Opening Plenary: Nourishing the Nation — The Crisis, The Causes, The Call to Action

Time: 9:15 AM – 10:25 AM

Opening Formalities

Audio announcement by Master of Ceremonies
National Anthem of Pakistan
Recitation from the Holy Quran
Dawn Media – Opening remarks — 5 minutes

Chief Guest Address

H.E. Shehbaz Sharif (Invited) — Prime Minister of Pakistan — 10 minutes

Failing which:

Ahsan Iqbal — Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI)

Keynote / Framing Addresses

UN Resident Coordinator & Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan/ UNICEF/ WFD — International Lens
Global Representative: World Bank
Mustafa Kamal — Federal Minister of Health — National Lens

10:25 – 10:30 : Documentary Short (AKUH to provide)

“Faces of the First 1000 Days” — 5 minutes. Screened in full darkness, no introduction needed. A cinematically shot, silent-opening documentary following three mothers across Pakistan’s most affected regions. Ends on data overlaid on the mothers’ faces, then a child’s eyes. No music.

Tea Break: 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM

SESSION 2: Current Realities

2.1 — Global Current Realities

Time: 10:50 AM – 11:30 AM

Abigail (Abi) Perry Lead Nutrition Specialist, World Bank
Dr. Lynnette Neufeld — Director, Food and Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome
Srikant Or Amaka
UNICEF Global

2.2 — South and South East Asia’s Current Realities

Time: 11:35 AM – 12:40 PM

South Asia carries the largest number of stunted children of any region. This session now aims for full regional coverage across

Moderator:

Dr. Irshad Danish (Chair, Global SUN Civil Society Network)/ Co-chair Global Nutrition Report Stakeholders Group
Representative from AKUH
Dr. Shams el Arifeen, (Emeritus Scientist,icddr,br,b)
Widya Buenastuti (Director, Senior Consultant, Inke Maris & Associates, Indonesia)
Dr. Ravi Rannan-Eliya (Executive Director, Institute of Health Policy), Sri Lanka

2.3 — Pakistan’s Current Realities

Time: 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Chair: Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety

Keynote: Senator Rubina Khalid** — Chairperson, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)

Moderator: Antenah, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF

Panel:

Dr. Irshad Danish (Chair, Global SUN Civil Society Network)/ Co-chair Global Nutrition Report Stakeholders Group
Dr. Shabina Raza — Country Director, Nutrition International, Pakistan
Representative from AKUH
Dr. Babar Shahbaz — Professor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad & SDPI Visiting Fellow
Hasan Khurrum Hanif
Faiz Rasool — Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Lunch Break: 1:50 PM – 2:25 PM

SESSION 3: Financing Nutrition & The Human Capital Debt

Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Opening Address: Dr. Sania Nishtar — CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Founder, Heartfile; former Federal Minister, Pakistan — anchor voice on the ‘way forward’

Panel 3A — The Economic Case & Public Finance Landscape

Lead Nutrition Specialist, World Bank
ADB
Local Economist ( Raza Khan )
International Economist ( Dylan Walters – NI )

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 PM

Panel 3B — Alternative & Private Financing for Nutrition ( GAIN )

Pakistan Business Council — Industry investment case — workforce nutrition ROI & corporate commitments
EBM — Food sector supply chain fortification investment
Aga Khan Fund / AKDN — Philanthropic & blended finance models
IFC / AIIB Representative — Development finance & private capital mobilisation
Roberta Bove: Team Lead, Nutritious Foods Enterprises • Innovative Finance; She will speak virtually on Nutrition Investing that GAIN has been leading for over 2 years now in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the model we are planning to launch in the Asia Pacific, which was announced at the ADB forum in Manila. 10 Mins Presentation
G.M. Reza Sumon – Project Manager, Workforce Nutrition • Drivers of Food Systems Change – GAIN Bangladesh: He can present on “From Pilot to Private Investment: How Workforce Nutrition Became a Business Case in Bangladesh’s Garment Sector.”. The presentation will cover how GAIN Bangladesh moved from donor-funded pilots to a shared-value model in which factories and global brands co-finance nutrition services – drawing on results such as reduced anaemia and absenteeism, Fair Price Shops operating commercially inside factories and multi-phase brand investment. Time of Presentation would be 12-15 Mins.
Dr Muhammad Junaid Dairy Technologist / Consultant): Innovate Responisbly; Driving Sustainable Growth and Better Nutrition in the Dairy Sector” Why Innovation in dairy sector to overcome Malnutrition. We can take 2 perspectives/presentation each of 10 mins. (total time 20 mins)
Pakistan Business Council: Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) for Growth, Resilience, and Nutrition. (10 Mins)
EBM the study with AKU
Tetra Pack
Saira Iftikhar