PAKISTAN Overview of Childhood Under-nutrition Although the problem of malnutrition has been recognized in Pakistan for several decades as underlying much of infant and under-5 mortality, the country still suffers from high rates of childhood malnutrition

Although the problem of malnutrition has been recognized in Pakistan for several decades as underlying much of infant and under-5 mortality, the country still suffers from high rates of childhood malnutrition and has made little progress in the past 20 years to address the issue. With about 38% and 40% of children under five years old reported to be underweight and stunted, respectively, (Figure 1), the burden of child malnutrition is lower than some countries in South Asia (India, Bangladesh and Nepal) but still much higher than most countries in Sub-Sahara Africa. These high levels are of particular concern since Pakistan has long been considered as self-sufficient in diverse agriculture produce and refined foods. Lack of political commitment to systematically address malnutrition, minimal investments in nutrition interventions, and a lack of a clear, focused and practical strategy are some of the factors that have contributed to the persistence of high levels of child malnutrition. Similar to many South Asian countries, malnutrition is not confined to infants and young children, but it is also highly prevalent among women of reproductive age. In 2001, almost 14% of lactating women were reported to be underweight with 2.5% being severely thin.