Karachi, June 07, 2023 (PPI-OT): In a statement released from Islamabad, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Shazia Marri emphasises on the need to invest more on nutrition of most vulnerable population of the country. Shazia Marri said that as a partner in the current unity government, the Pakistan People’s Party has been constantly pushing the adaptive social protection agenda and emphasising on the need to focus on the economic needs of the people. She said that it was extremely important to invest in the development of country’s human capital from all aspects and nutrition was one of the major aspects that we all need to focus on.
She further explained that through an intervention by Benazir Income Support Programme, Government looks after the nutrition of its most vulnerable population but more needed to be done. She said that under the Benazir Nashoma conditional cash transfer program, the assistance is linked with health and nutrition which addresses stunting prevention and promotes dietary diversity during the first 1000 days’ window of opportunity. Marri further explained, “This increases the uptake of health and nutrition services for its beneficiaries through provision of Specialized Nutrition Food (SNF) for Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs) and children from 6 months to 23 months, immunisation to Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs) and Children (0-23 months) including awareness sessions on Breastfeeding practices, Hygiene, Sanitation, Dietary diversity.”
Shazia Marri said that 0.643 million children and PLWs have been so far enrolled in Benazir Nashonoma Program and BISP was targeting to enroll 1.5 million children and PLWs by 2025. She said that Rs. 24 billion had been disbursed so far while 21.8 billion was the current year’s budget and a sum of Rs. 32 billion proposed in the upcoming budget. She informed that 487 Facilitation centers were currently operational at tehsil/district level health facilities of 157 districts of the country. Shazia Marri also informed that she had apprised Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the progress on nutrition program and proposed to invest more into nutrition of the most vulnerable population. “It is extremely important to focus nutrition in order to ensure both mental and physical growth of our children’, Shazia Marri stated.
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