Pakistan is facing a severe malnutrition crisis that threatens future generations, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told parliament on Thursday.
Citing the National Nutrition Survey 2018, Kamal said that 40.2% of children under five are stunted, 17.8% are wasted, and 53% suffer from anemia. Deficiencies in vitamin A, D, iron, and zinc also remain widespread.
He said progress over the past decades has been negligible due to food insecurity, poor maternal nutrition, inadequate health services, and weak water, sanitation, and hygiene systems.
Unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and limited hygiene practices continue to aggravate child illnesses such as diarrhea and infections, further worsening malnutrition, he added.
According to the World Bank and the Global Nutrition Report, Pakistan loses 2% to 3% of its GDP — around $7–8 billion annually — due to malnutrition-related productivity losses and healthcare costs.
Kamal noted that every $1 invested in nutrition yields up to $16 in return.
Although health is a devolved subject under the 18th Amendment, the federal ministry continues to provide policy guidance and technical support to provinces.
Kamal pointed to national frameworks such as the Maternal Nutrition Strategy, the Social and Behavioural Change Communication Strategy, and the National Food Fortification Policy.
He called for coordinated, multi-sectoral action to tackle what he described as a “silent but devastating emergency” facing Pakistan’s next generation.
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