A landmark government nutrition scheme has successfully reduced child stunting by 6.4 percentage points in Sindh, paving the way for a new $40 million school meals initiative set to benefit 100,000 students in the province’s most vulnerable districts.
According to an official report today, the significant health improvements were credited to the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP), a conditional cash transfer initiative targeting the crucial first 1,000 days of a child”s life. Findings from a midline evaluation conducted by Aga Khan University also revealed notable enhancements in maternal dietary diversity and a decline in low birth weight cases.
These results were discussed during a high-level meeting at the CM House on Tuesday between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan Country Director, Ms Coco Ushiyama. The meeting was also attended by key provincial ministers and secretaries from the education, health, and social protection departments.
Terming the outcomes ‘highly encouraging,’ the Chief Minister stated that the reduction in stunting and low birth weight ‘proves that targeted nutrition interventions combined with social protection can deliver measurable human capital gains.’ He reiterated the provincial government”s commitment to scaling up such evidence-based nutrition projects through enhanced departmental coordination.
Building on this success, the WFP briefed the Chief Minister on its upcoming five-year, $40 million School Meals Programme. Titled ‘Kal Ki Bunyad – Foundation for the Future,’ the project will initially target 100,000 pupils in 614 government schools across the Malir and Keamari districts of Karachi.
Funded by McGovern Dole – United States Department of Agriculture, the comprehensive scheme aims not only to improve children’s nutritional status through daily school meals but also to strengthen literacy outcomes using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach and rehabilitate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
‘Our objective is not just to feed children, but to nourish them with the most efficient and sustainable model possible,’ Mr Shah remarked, highlighting the provincial education department”s rigorous efforts to ensure student attendance and monitor learning through digital solutions.
The Chief Minister concluded by reaffirming his government’s goal to institutionalise school feeding and maternal nutrition through lasting provincial frameworks. ‘Investing in nutrition is investing in Sindh’s future. Our focus is on building strong systems that the province can own and expand,’ he said.
The WFP delegation commended the provincial government’s leadership and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating closely with Sindh to advance food security, child nutrition, and resilience initiatives.