Executive Director WFP richly lauds Ehsaas Nashonuma programme

ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (SABAH): Ehsaas and World Food Programme (WFP) inked a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday to extend the Ehsaas Nashonuma programme currently from 15 districts to all Tehsils of Pakistan. David Beasley, Executive Director, World Food Programme and Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar SAPM witnessed the MoU signing ceremony.

Country Director WFP Pakistan, Chris Kaye and Secretary Ismat Tahira formally signed the MoU. Speaking on the occasion, David Beasley stated, “I highly commend Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and commitment to address the issue of stunting in children across Pakistan. Other countries can also learn from it.” He also congratulated the PM on the success of the programme. “Ehsaas Nashonuma is undoubtedly playing a transformative role to tackle stunting in children and transforming their lives as according to the estimates 40 out of 100 children in Pakistan are stunted”, David Beasley lauded further.

Dr. Sania termed Ehsaas’ partnership with WFP remarkable and thanked the WFP leadership and country team for their assistance in the programme design, roll out and national scale-up. In her remarks, Dr. Sania said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan in his first speech to the nation had highlighted the key issue of stunting and committed to addressing it. Therefore, in line with our PM’s vision, Ehsaas rolled out a nutrition conditional cash transfer programme, Ehsaas Nashonuma in partnership with the WFP.” Chris Kaye, Country Director WFP Pakistan assured full support for the national scale-up of the programme.

“Across 15 most stunted districts of the country, 50 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres have already been opened at the district and Tehsil level health facilities in the first phase of the programme and these will absolutely play an important role in building human capital”, said Chris Kaye.

Launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2020, Ehsaas Nashonuma programme delivers conditional cash transfers to vulnerable pregnant women, mothers and children up to two years of age and provides them with cash stipends, specialized nutritious food, immunizations, antenatal and postnatal checkups, and health-awareness sessions. Every quarter girl child gets a higher stipend amount compared to boy child. Principally, Ehsaas Nashonuma is pegged on improving nutrition and health in the first thousand days of life, that is the most critical period in early childhood development, starting at conception and finishing at age of two.