Two women from Thar watch as a child cries out. PHOTO: PPI
The programme will focus on improving nutrition for children and pregnant and lactating women and will be implemented in seven districts of the province over three years at an approximate cost of Rs1.5 billion. The Balochistan government will co-finance the programme with a commitment of Rs298.2 million.
The provincial health department has committed to reducing endemic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The programme is funded through Australia’s 39-million-dollar partnership with the World Bank multi-donor trust fund for nutrition, which aims to reduce malnutrition during the first thousand days of life with a particular focus on women, girls and the poorest across Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Adamson said the Australian government was investing in Pakistan’s human development to improve education and health, particularly for women and girls, including nutrition-sensitive programmes such as school-feeding programmes and adapting agriculture investments to improve nutrition and water and sanitation.
“Australia is deeply committed to improving nutritional services across Pakistan, evidenced by not only the establishment of the multi-donor trust fund for nutrition, but through Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s visit to Pakistan, where she also announced 1 million (Australian) dollars for additional technical assistance to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to improve nutrition.”
The Australian government partnered with the World Bank to establish the multi-donor trust fund for nutrition in June 2013. The UK Department for International Development recently joined the trust fund to increase its scope to include nutrition-sensitive programmes, such as those focused on sanitation and hygiene and agriculture for improving nutrition.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2015.
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