Scaling Up Nutrition with the Business Network in Pakistan

October 31, 2014 - Last update: February 10, 2023

On 24 October 2014, a meeting was organised by the Pakistan Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms to promote the formulation of the Pakistan business network for scaling up nutrition in Islamabad. The network was the result of a collaboration between the Ministry, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Micronutrient Initiative (MI) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) . Establishment of the network will aid in multi-stakeholder engagement for scaling up nutrition and strengthen the SUN Business Network. Participants from multiple sectors and stakeholder groups attended including the Planning Ministry Chief of Nutrition and SUN Government Focal Point Muhammad Aslam Shaheen. In an address to the participants, Mr Shaheen said “I would like to congratulate all of you that, today, the private sector, the government and other partners are sitting together to formulate the SUN Business Network in Pakistan”.

In Pakistan, there is interest in the private sector’s role in the scaling up of fortification interventions in Pakistan. This interest is based on the successful model of the Universal Salt Iodization (USI) programme. Lola Castro, WFP Pakistan Representative and Country Director said that in addition to fortified food products, the private sector can help the government in scaling up nutitrion across a number of nutrition-direct and nutrition-sensitive areas including;

promotion of healthy behaviors
support pf studies to build new evidence
dissemination of appropriate nutrition related messaging
creation of and promotion of mother and child friendly work environments
expansion of outreach to low-income groups/consumers
execution of vital research
building local capacity through technology and knowledge transfer

The meeting highlighted the potential of business and public-private partnerships to scaling up nutrition. The Pakistan SUN business network is expected to support the country’s efforts in combating malnutrition.

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UN WFP Scaling Up Nutrition Meeting Waqas Rafique by waqqas-rafique

Post by World Food Programme.