In a country where almost 40 percent of children under five face the silent crisis of stunting, Benazir Nashonuma Programme has emerged as a story of hope and evidence-based impact. Operating under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan’s largest social protection initiative, it represents a defining moment in the nation’s fight against malnutrition — a model where science meets compassion and policy translates into human progress.

A mid-term independent evaluation by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Global Health and Development confirmed a national breakthrough: a 6.4 percent reduction in child stunting, a 5.6 percent decrease in low birth weight, and a 7-8 percent drop in babies born too small or too weak in target areas. Even more striking is the 20 percent reduction in stunting among six-month-old infants whose mothers joined the programme during early pregnancy and stayed through breastfeeding. Behind these figures are real lives, women, children, and families whose futures have quietly transformed.

Launched in 2020, Nashonuma is rooted in a simple but transformative idea: investing in mothers is investing in a nation’s future. The programme focuses on the crucial first 1,000 days, from conception to a child’s second birthday, a window that determines lifelong growth and cognitive potential.

Through 542 facilitation centers in 156 districts, it has reached over 3.5 million women and children. These centers provide antenatal and postnatal care, growth monitoring, immunization, and awareness sessions on nutrition and hygiene. Mothers also receive locally produced nutritious food supplements and conditional cash stipends to sustain........

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