Islamabad - To foster efforts for scaling up nutrition in Pakistan, a meeting of the ‘Scaling Up Nutrition Movement’s Business Network (SBN)’ was held here on Saturday under the aegis of the ministry of planning, development and reforms together with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Micronutrient Initiative (MI) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
In 2010, the scaling up nutrition (SUN) movement was launched globally to support national leadership and collective action to scale up nutrition. The ministry of planning, development and reforms, together with the ministry of national health services, regulation and coordination, the ministry of national food security and research and nutrition development partners officially launched SUN in Pakistan and signed a declaration of commitment in December last year.
Speaking on the occasion, Lola Castro, WFP Pakistan Representative and Country Director, stated that “either through unilateral business investment, or catalysed by the public-private partnerships, the private sector can support with the provision of the right tools for scaling up nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions including expertise in product development and manufacturing, quality assurance and control, efficient distribution networks as well as supporting the national capacity at the country level.” Castro gave examples of salt iodisation and the development of specialised nutrition products in Pakistan where the private sector played a key role to make it successful.
“In addition to fortified food products, the private sector can promote healthy behaviours, support studies to build new evidence, disseminate appropriate nutrition related messaging, create mother and child friendly work environments, expand outreach to low-income groups/consumers, execute vital research, and build local capacity through technology and knowledge transfer, among others,” Castro said.
“Addressing malnutrition is one of the best investments Pakistan can make for its future,” said Dr Tausif Janjua, Country Director MI. He strongly supported the potential of scaling up of fortification interventions based on the successful model of the Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) programme.
“It is a unique movement founded on the principle that everyone has the right to food and good nutrition. It unites people from the government, the civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers in an effort to improve nutrition,” said Sajjad Imran, Country Manager GAIN, while presenting an overview of the SUN movement in Pakistan.
The representatives of the private sector from multinational and national companies, chambers of commerce and associations took keen interest in the proceedings of the meeting and committed to join the SBN as well as join hands with the public sector to manage malnutrition in Pakistan. It was highlighted that relevant profits should be the means not the objective of the business sector and that they understand that investing in nutrition specific and sensitive interventions are also viable for business. The businesses gave several examples in which they were already supporting some activities, like the in-country production of ready-to-use supplementary food.
, existing salt and wheat fortification efforts and the effective use of innovations in the IT sector.