KARACHI: As Pakistan faces one of the gravest development challenges of our time, DawnMedia is set to host a landmark national conference on malnutrition and stunting.
‘Act for Nutrition’ will be held on Sept 2 and 3 at the Serena Hotel, Islamabad, to shed light on “the emergency we can no longer ignore”, DawnMedia said in a statement.
According to the statement, about 40 per cent of children in Pakistan under the age of five are stunted, while the country has one of the highest child malnutrition numbers in the world.
“Maternal malnutrition, widespread micronutrient deficiencies, food insecurity, poor infant feeding practices, rapid population growth and persistent poverty continue to reinforce a cycle of deprivation that spans generations,” the statement said.
According to recent estimates, Pakistan loses nearly $17 billion annually due to the economic consequences of malnutrition and undernutrition.
Recognising nutrition as fundamentally an economic, governance and developmental challenge, and not solely as a health issue, “Act for Nutrition seeks to elevate malnutrition from a fragmented public health concern to a national development priority”.
The conference will bring together policymakers, development partners, healthcare professionals, economists, academics, civil society organisations, humanitarian agencies, and the private sector for two days of evidence-based dialogue.
Speakers will examine the country’s nutrition landscape through interconnected lenses of poverty, health, education, climate resilience, governance, and human rights.
The principal partners of the conference are the Sindh health ministry, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and English Biscuit Manufacturers.
The knowledge partners include Globesight, International Research Force, and the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Research Network. The organisations bring together expertise to strengthen the dialogue around nutrition and child development in the country.
“Act for Nutrition marks the beginning of a long-term national movement — one that recognises investing in maternal and child nutrition as among the most powerful investments Pakistan can make in its future prosperity, resilience, and human capital,” the statement said.
Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026
