DawnMedia to host ‘Act for Nutrition’ conference in Islamabad to address child malnutrition crisis.

DawnMedia has announced it will host a two‑day national conference called “Act for Nutrition” on September 2‑3 at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The event aims to highlight the ongoing malnutrition crisis in Pakistan. About 40 percent of children under five in Pakistan are stunted, and the country has one of the highest child‑malnutrition rates worldwide. Recent estimates suggest Pakistan loses nearly $17 billion each year in economic costs linked to malnutrition and undernutrition. The conference will bring together policymakers, development partners, health professionals, economists, academics, civil society organisations, humanitarian agencies and the private sector to discuss nutrition through the lenses of poverty, health, education, climate resilience, governance and human rights. Principal partners include the Sindh health ministry, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and English Biscuit Manufacturers, while knowledge partners are Globesight, International Research Force and the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Research Network. DawnMedia said the event intends to shift nutrition from a fragmented public‑health concern to a national development priority, emphasising investment in maternal and child nutrition as a key driver of Pakistan’s future prosperity and resilience.