Child stunting is Pakistan's hidden economic crisis

The Express Tribune published an opinion piece arguing that child stunting is an underrated drag on Pakistan's economy. The writer, a paediatrician, notes that the National Nutrition Survey 2018 recorded 40.2% of children under five as stunted, a rate that has stayed high for more than two decades. Recent Unicef and World Bank assessments point to only slight progress despite repeated policy pledges.

According to the piece, stunting stems from several factors beyond food supply, including unsafe water, poor sanitation and repeated infections that stop children absorbing nutrients. Unicef puts the share of children in severe food poverty at 38% for 2024, with diets drawn from two or fewer recommended food groups. The writer also cites the World Bank's Human Capital Index, where Pakistan scores just 0.41, a level implying that today's newborns will realise under half of their productive capacity.

The article argues that the main problem is implementation rather than a lack of plans, citing the National Multisectoral Nutrition Programme launched in 2023 and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal's call for stronger ties across federal and provincial bodies. Since the 18th Constitutional Amendment made health and nutrition largely provincial matters, nutrition programmes are spread across departments, each with separate budgets and priorities. The writer concludes that nutrition should be treated as a strategic investment rather than a welfare programme, with district-level indicators and sustained financing as key tools.