Launching a new programme in Pakistan, partnering with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Aga Khan Development Network

8 August 2024: The Power of Nutrition is pleased to announce the launch of a new programme in Pakistan, supporting women and children’s health through an integrated approach of nutrition and immunisation. The programme is in partnership with federal and provincial governments, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Aga Khan Development Network and aims to support one million mothers and children across four provinces in Pakistan.

Nearly half of all children in Pakistan suffer from stunting – an irreversible condition where children are underdeveloped because of malnutrition. Stunting leads to more illness, premature death, poor school outcomes and lower employment opportunities, effecting the growth of the country overall. Pakistan also has some of the highest child mortality rates and levels of 'zero dose' children - 1.2 million children have not received vital immunisations.

The $7.2 million programme aims to support seven districts of the highest need - Diamir, Astore, Gilgit, Sibi, Bolan, Thatta, Sajawal. Through a seamless integrated approach, the programme incorporates strengthening health systems to address existing gaps in routine immunisation and nutrition services, social behaviour change communication to generate demand for immunisation and supporting district and national governments in monitoring and reviewing data for evidence-based decision making and learning.

Immunisation and nutrition programmes often work in silos, despite aiming to support the same target populations. The partnership aims to provide vital evidence on the importance of integration and real-life examples that demonstrate cost-effective ways of joint delivery to improve health, nutrition and vaccination outcomes while simultaneously developing resilient health systems and communities.

Dr. Alok Ranjan, Director of Programmes and Investments at The Power of Nutrition said:

We’re delighted to bring together partners Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Aga Khan Foundation for this vital project in Pakistan. For too long nutrition and immunisation stakeholders have been working separately, despite the interventions reaching similar populations and being mutually beneficial. This programme promises not only real impact in Pakistan, it can help pave the way for more integrated programming worldwide.

Dr Tokunbo Oshin, Director, High Impact Countries, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said: 

With funding from the Aga Khan Foundation, The Power of Nutrition, and the FCDO Matching Fund, and in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, Gavi is pleased to be able to support this innovative programme, which responds to preferences expressed by parents to be reached with a package of interventions. Through health systems strengthening efforts, this will be a good opportunity to provide essential services in remote areas of Pakistan and learn how to better scale up integrated service delivery, including immunization and nutrition.

Akhtar Iqbal, Chief Executive Officer Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan, said: 

The strategic and innovative partnership with GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance and the Power of Nutrition provides us a unique opportunity to contribute to SDGS by extending an integrated package of immunization, health and nutrition interventions for children living in some of the most marginalized districts in Pakistan. Through a close partnership with the Federal and Provincial Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Directorates, and technical support of the Aga Khan Health Services and Aga Khan University, the programme will generate data, evidence and learning to fill gaps and discover what works in this under-resourced area.

The programme is being jointly funded by all partners and centrally managed by The Power of Nutrition who convened the group using its unique matching model to create leverage and impact at scale. It commences later in 2024 running through to 2027.

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For more information, please contact:

The Power of Nutrition: news@powerofnutrition.org

About The Power of Nutrition

The Power of Nutrition is a global not-for-profit organisation that unites businesses, governments, investors and non-profits in a joint mission to end the cycle of malnutrition. Our innovative finance and partnership model maximises nutrition investments to make resources go further.

We currently have 26 programmes in 17 countries with high rates of malnutrition across Africa and Asia. Each is aligned with national government plans, carefully designed to deliver impact at scale, and are based around a core set of evidence-based, high-impact interventions known to improve child, adolescent, and maternal nutrition as well as support wider sustainable development goals.

To date, our programmes have enabled over 147 million women, children and adolescents to access essential nutrition interventions and services that are truly changing lives. Visit https://www.powerofnutrition.org/ for more information on our work and on how to partner with us.

Header photo credit: Gavi/2020/Asad Zaidi