New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) As millions of children in Pakistan remain nutritionally vulnerable despite years of interventions, malnutrition can no longer be treated as an occasional emergency in the country, according to a new report.
Pakistan’s ‘National Nutrition Survey 2018’ registered stunting among 40.2 per cent of children under five, equivalent to around 12 million children, says the report from Pakistan Observer.
The survey found wasting at 17.7 per cent. Chronic undernutrition remains widespread across Pakistan and the country continues to face a substantial burden of child malnutrition.
Stunting rose from 41.6 per cent in 2001 to 43.7 per cent in 2011 before declining to 40.2 percent in 2018, the report mentions, citing data.
The consequences extend far beyond childhood.
Stunting can impair physical and cognitive development, reduce learning capacity, and contribute to poor educational outcomes.
Pakistan’s nutrition partners estimate that malnutrition and undernutrition cost the country about $17 billion annually, says the report.
Deficiencies in vitamin A, zinc and vitamin D, together with widespread anaemia, further increase vulnerability.
“Climate disasters repeatedly expose these weaknesses. The 2025 monsoon floods disrupted healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation services across several provinces while damaging crops, food stocks and livelihoods,” observes the report.
The report further states that UNICEF recorded 946 deaths by September 12, including 255 children, while more than one million acres of farmland in Punjab had been inundated.
Floodwater contaminated drinking-water sources and increased children’s exposure to diarrhoeal diseases and other infections.
Environmental hazards are adding another dimension.
UNICEF reported in May this year that that four in 10 children aged 12 to 36 months living in high-risk areas of seven Pakistani cities had elevated blood-lead levels.
Its 2025 annual report also reported treatment for 304,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The Pakistan Observer report warns that Pakistan is facing a national human-development crisis, which requires sustained political commitment and coordinated action across departments.
–IANS
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