Strengthening Social Protection for Nutrition: Governments and WFP gather in Pakistan for global learning
Delegates from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Niger, Timor-Leste and Pakistan will exchange lessons, evidence and innovations to integrate nutrition effectively into national social protection systems.
The dialogue aims to build shared commitment to making social protection policies and programmes more nutrition focused. Delegates will review practical examples, explore new approaches, and identify actions to accelerate progress against malnutrition at national and global levels. As host country, Pakistan is showcasing its leadership in social protection and nutrition, offering lessons that resonate across the region, through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), a globally recognised model for poverty reduction and nutrition-sensitive social protection. Its flagship Benazir Nashonuma Programme, launched in 2020 by the Government of Pakistan with support from WFP, UNICEF, and WHO, focuses on preventing stunting – impaired growth and development in young children due to malnutrition – targeting pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under two. A recent evaluation by Aga Khan University, a leading health sciences institution based in Karachi, found stunting at six months of age to be 20 percent lower among Nashonuma beneficiaries - some of the strongest nutrition outcomes ever recorded at scale.
“Integrating nutrition into social protection has been a major milestone,” said the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. “Through the Benazir Nashonuma initiative, pregnant and lactating women and children under two receive targeted support during the first thousand days. At the core of this effort is a simple conviction: no child should face malnutrition, no mother should be without care, and no family should endure hardship alone. Ending malnutrition is both a development priority and a responsibility that shapes the future of all nations”.
“In coordination with provincial authorities, BISP aims to continue and where possible expand its efforts to sustain the achievements of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme over the next years,” said Rubina Khalid, Chairperson of BISP. “This positive momentum must be maintained, as the health of today’s children shapes the promise of generations yet unborn.”
Since its launch in 2008, BISP has marked a turning point in Pakistan’s social protection landscape, shifting from fragmented welfare schemes to a nationally coordinated programme and laying the foundation for innovations such as digital payments, beneficiary registries, and nutrition‑sensitive interventions.
“Pakistan's experience shows that integrating social protection and nutrition is not only feasible and impactful but cost-effective. It requires sustained political will and predictable financing,” said Coco Ushiyama, WFP Representative and Country Director in Pakistan.
On behalf of H.E. President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste, the chair of the Global Task Force,
H.E. Ceu Brites, Vice Minister of Social Security and Inclusion, expressed her deep appreciation to the Government of Pakistan for hosting the event and for their leadership in advancing nutrition-sensitive social protection. “Let us move from ideas to impact — from commitment to collective action. Together, we can create a world where no mother, no child, and no family are left behind,” she said. She also thanked the Government of France for their support to the Global Task Force.
The event underscores the shared commitment of participating governments and partners to ensure that no child, woman, or man suffers from hunger or malnutrition. It reflects the spirit of collaboration required to achieve Zero Hunger (Sustainable Development Goal 2) and universal social protection (target 1.3 under Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty), reinforcing the leadership of the Global South in shaping the future of nutrition-sensitive social protection.
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