Karachi: Sindh government is committed to reduce stunting in children from 48 to 30 percent by 2021, said Sindh minister planning and development Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani.
He said all provincial institutions should cooperate to eradicate mal and under nutrition, adding funds for the reduction of stunting and malnourishment should reach at grassroots level.
Bijarani said no irregularities can be tolerated in this respect.
Speaking at a briefing of provincial taskforce on nutrition and stunting, he said that we will harness all state resources to eradicate poverty, hunger and starvation from this province.
The meeting was told that an accelerated action plan worth Rs 55194.110 million has already been launched to reduce the stunting from 48 to 25 percent by 2021.
This is a multi-sectorial activity involving departments of health, education, agriculture, population welfare, local government, livestock and fisheries and social welfare.
It was also told in the briefing that international donor agencies like UNICEF, World Bank and European Union will cooperate in various stunting and mal nutrition reduction projects.
A EU-funded project namely program for improved nutrition in Sindh for reducing malnourishment among pregnant and lactating women is running successfully in eight districts of Sindh.
Under the title of nutrition support program Sindh some 87221 malnourished children have been treated and 211109 children suffering from anaemia have been provided with malnutrition powder. Moreover, some 471110 under-nutrition women have been met under this program. This program is being carried out with the cooperation of various NGOs in different districts of the province.
A mass awareness campaign about the possible implications of mal nutrition and stunting has also been launched across the province. It was also decided in the meeting to hold a fund raising conference with different donor agencies.