ISLAMABAD, Jul 15 (APP):The first Nash-o-Numa center under Ehsaas initiative is being set up in Jampur area of Rajanpur district and will soon be opened for the convenience of the people.
This was stated by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Sania Nishtar through her tweets.
She said that preparations for the establishment of 31 Nash-o-Numa centers across nine districts of the country are in full swing.
Under this initiative,healthy supplement food sachet will be provided to the pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged between six months to two years.
These sachet will be given to children and pregnant mothers whose children have stunting disease or are more likely to have it, she said.The Prime Minister will launch the Ehsaas Nash-o-Numa Program this month.
She said the issue of stunting among children in Pakistan has always been one of the priorities of Prime Minister Imran Khan.According to the National Nutrition Survey, there has been no significant improvement in the stunting situation among children under the age of five in Pakistan between 1965 and 2017.
Provincially and regionally, the highest incidence of stunting among minors in Pakistan is in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh.
Dr. Nishtar said the first 1,000 days of a newborn’s life are extremely critical and if stunting is not treated then after this period, it becomes a permanent disease.Stunting growth affect the physical and mental development of the children.
The Nash-o-Numa programme is the result of one and a half year of comprehensive planning, technical consultation and public-private partnership.
The consultations for the preparation of the program had started from January 2019, Dr. Nishtar said.
A comprehensive consultation was held with the Jordan’s Princess Sarah Zeid, the World Food Program’s Special Adviser on Nutrition on planning of Ehsaas Nash-o-Numa programme, duringher visit to Pakistan in November 2019.
She said Ehsaas is supported by the World Food Program in its Nash-o-Numa Program.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Ehsaas and the World Food Program in this regard in February 2020.
In the initial phase of this program, 31 Nash-o-Numa Centers will be set up in nine districts of the country to protect mothers and children from stunting growth.
Many related facilities will be provided at these centers under the umbrella of Ehsaas.
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