Fighting malnutrition: BISP, UNICEF agree to forge close collaboration

ISLAMABAD: The federal government and the United Nations have reiterated to collaborate closely to address malnutrition among women and children in Pakistan.

In this context, a delegation from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) called on Rubina Khalid, the Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at the BISP headquarters on Monday to map out a way forward on strengthened collaboration between BISP and the UNICEF.

Abdullah Fadil, the UNICEF Country Representative in Pakistan, led the visiting delegates.

In the meeting, the BISP chairperson reiterated her commitment to increasing awareness of the Nashonuma Programme, which aims to address malnutrition among women and children, said an official statement from BISP issued after the meeting

She highlighted the critical role that awareness plays in resolving various issues related to health and nutrition, particularly for vulnerable populations, the statement added.

“My focus will be on raising awareness of the Nashonuma Programme. By doing so, we can address many issues, especially those affecting women and children,” Khalid said.

She said BISP and UNICEF need to collaborate closely to ensure the well-being of marginalised communities.

The UNICEF representative commended BISP’s effectiveness in shock responsiveness, targeted assistance, and financial literacy among its beneficiaries, the press release said.

He underscored the importance of BISP’s role in uplifting the socio-economic status of the most vulnerable segments of society.

“We need to work together to find practical solutions for the malnourished community, especially women and children,” Fadil stressed.

“BISP’s efforts in better targeting and financial literacy are commendable, and I look forward to our continued collaboration to further these goals,” he said.

The UNICEF delegation included Anteneh Girma Minas, Chief of Nutrition, Sadaf Zulfiqar, Social Policy Specialist, Dr Noreen Arshad, Nutrition Officer, Dr Wisal Khan, Nutrition Specialist, Larissa Bruun, Chief of Resource Mobilisation and Xinyi Ge, Programme Specialist.

The visiting delegation also called on Secretary BISP Amer Ali Ahmad and BISP’s Director General Conditional Cash Transfer Naveed Akbar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024