Pakistan is currently grappling with interconnected challenges of rising poverty, growing food insecurity, escalating undernutrition, and increasing ‘hidden hunger’ — deficiencies of essential micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in diets.

Globally, over two billion people are affected by hidden hunger. Driven primarily by poverty, these individuals rely on energy-dense but nutrient-poor diets consisting mainly of low-cost staples like rice and wheat. Their diets lack the nutrient diversity that comes from dairy products, meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Unlike overt hunger, hidden hunger does not necessarily result in weight loss but can lead to severe long-term health impacts on both adults and children.

In adults and the elderly, nutritional deficiencies of calcium, iron, and vitamins B and D are linked to bone health problems, chronic fatigue and weakness, and cognitive decline. In children, these deficiencies have an even more profound impact on growth and development. Stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and cognitive impairments in children are often the result of inadequate intake of vitamins A and C, iron, and zinc. Furthermore, early-life deficiencies of these micronutrients may also serve as predictors of chronic diseases in adulthood.

Hidden hunger is becoming an increasingly pressing issue in Pakistan. With a poverty rate of over 40 per cent in FY24 (World Bank data), countless families struggle to provide adequate food for their children, let alone a nutritious diet. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture........

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