By Shaheen Hashim
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met with Coco Ushiyama, the Country Director of the World Food Program (WFP) in Pakistan, at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday to discuss the province’s ongoing nutrition initiatives. Provincial ministers Saeed Ghani and Sardar Shah were also present at the meeting.
During the discussions, CM Shah highlighted the progress of Sindh’s flagship nutrition program, the Benazir Nashonuma Program, which he said had already achieved tangible results. According to the chief minister, child stunting among children aged six to 23 months had fallen by 6.4%, with improvements attributed to better maternal nutrition and reductions in the prevalence of low birth weight.
The meeting also marked the announcement of a significant new initiative. Building on the success of the existing program, the World Food Program plans to launch a $40 million, five-year School Meals Program in Karachi. The project will cover around 100,000 students across 614 schools in Malir and Keamari, aiming to link improved nutrition with better learning outcomes, as well as enhanced water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
“Investing in nutrition is investing in Sindh’s future,” CM Shah said, underlining the importance of addressing child and maternal nutrition as a foundation for long-term educational and health outcomes. Officials noted that the program would not only provide daily meals to students but also focus on building awareness among families about balanced diets and proper child feeding practices.
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