Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a high-level meeting with Dr. Irfan Ullah, Deputy Country Director, Nutrition International, Pakistan, to discuss strengthening nutrition interventions, food fortification and coordination between the federal and provincial governments.
The meeting reviewed ongoing initiatives aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies, improving maternal and child nutrition, and expanding access to fortified staple foods across Pakistan. Zameer Haider, Senior National Program Manager, Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF), Pakistan, and Muhammad Sajjad, National Program Manager (Regulation), LSFF, Pakistan, also attended the meeting.
The minister emphasized that improving nutrition outcomes requires strong coordination among federal and provincial governments, effective implementation of policies, and wider coverage of nutrition programmes, particularly for vulnerable communities in rural and underserved areas.
The meeting was briefed on Nutrition International’s support for vitamin A supplementation for children, zinc and oral rehydration therapy for childhood diarrhoea, maternal and adolescent nutrition, iron and folic acid supplementation, and newborn care. The organization is also supporting the transition towards WHO-recommended multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women.
The participants discussed the importance of strengthening large-scale food fortification, particularly of salt, wheat flour and edible oil/ghee, as a cost-effective means of reaching large segments of the population. The meeting noted significant progress in salt iodization and edible oil fortification, while stressing the need to close remaining gaps in coverage, quality assurance and enforcement.
The minister appreciated Nutrition International’s continued technical support and highlighted the need to further strengthen wheat flour fortification, including effective implementation of relevant legislation and regulations at the provincial level.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said that nutrition is closely linked with food security, human capital development and national economic productivity. He stressed that concerted efforts are required to protect children, women and other vulnerable groups from malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The meeting also discussed opportunities for expanding cooperation in lentil fortification and double fortification of salt, while ensuring that nutrition interventions remain affordable and accessible to the public.
The minister directed relevant officials to maintain close coordination with development partners and provincial authorities to ensure that nutrition and food fortification initiatives translate into tangible improvements in public health and food security.
