KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank Country Director Ms. Bolormaa Amgaabazar have agreed on a comprehensive strategy to reduce child stunting across Sindh through coordinated interventions in multiple sectors, including health, nutrition, water and sanitation (WASH), social protection, and agriculture. The strategy aims to address the persistent challenge of child stunting by integrating these sectors under a unified governance and monitoring framework.
According to Chief Minister Sindh, the agreement was reached during a high-level meeting at the CM House, where officials reviewed a proposed governance framework designed to tackle child stunting through coordinated action. The framework will align sectoral programs, budgets, and performance targets to deliver measurable improvements in child nutrition and development outcomes.
The strategy is based on synergistic actions across four key sectors. In the WASH sector, efforts will focus on expanding access to drinking water and sanitation services. The Health and Social Protection sectors will strengthen access to healthcare, nutrition services, family planning, and immunization. Social protection initiatives will provide conditional cash transfers to support childcare and feeding practices. In the Agri-Food sector, the strategy will increase access to nutritious foods through crop diversification and sustainable farming practices.
The World Bank-supported programs, such as the National Health Support Programme and the Sindh Integrated Health and Population Programme, already provide a platform for convergence across Sindh. The first phase of convergence will focus on districts where health, social protection, and WASH interventions overlap, including Badin, Jacobabad, Kashmore, and others.
The Chief Minister will chair a multi-tier governance structure to provide strategic guidance, approve priorities, and ensure alignment of policies. A Stunting Convergence Secretariat will coordinate annual work plans and monitor implementation. At the district level, District Coordination Committees will oversee implementation and coordinate sectoral activities.
The meeting also approved the development of an integrated Stunting Management Information System (MIS) to combine sectoral data into a single dashboard for tracking progress and improving accountability. The MIS will integrate data from health facilities, outreach indicators, vaccination records, and more.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah emphasized the importance of a coordinated approach to tackle child stunting, which he described as a fundamental development priority for Sindh. He highlighted that reducing child stunting is essential for improving education outcomes, economic productivity, and social wellbeing. The Chief Minister also appreciated the World Bank’s partnership and reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking.