The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Pakistan on Wednesday signed a landmark, three-year agreement to research and identify the most cost-effective strategies to improve the nutrition status of children between 6 and 23 months of age who are covered through social protection systems.
The agreement was signed by WFP, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Primary and Secondary Health Department in Punjab.
Speaking at the ceremony WFP interim Country Director Stephen Gluning said that this is the first time such research is being done in the context of an existing social protection scheme, rather than a specially-created research project. The findings will give Pakistan a great opportunity to build an evidence base for its social protection programmes. He said that that WFP Pakistan is proud to be a part of this initiative.
“There is no clear evidence on the cost-effectiveness of interventions currently being used vis-a-vis their impact within the social protection sector. Pakistan cannot afford to continue as they have; prioritisation of impact on nutritional indicators is a must,” stated Cecilia Garzón, the Head of Nutrition of WFP Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan has declared nutrition a national emergency and has included nutrition in its “Vision 2025” national plan. The main actors working in nutrition have agreed on the importance of basing future operations on scientific conclusions. This research will be based on real operations and will compare the efficiency and cost-effectiveness, from a nutritional perspective, of different types of nutritional interventions. The results are expected to be the basis for future efforts to prevent malnutrition in Pakistan within the social protection sector. This venture also strengthens partnerships among different government departments that collaborate to improve nutrition in the country.
