EVERY day, in homes across Pakistan, millions of children are quietly being left behind. Not by flood or famine, earthquake or epidemic, but by the slow, invisible erosion of chronic undernutrition. The crisis unfolding concerns the 40 per cent of Pakistani children under five who are stunted, the nearly 10m children affected by chronic growth failure and the millions more whose brain development is compromised during the most critical window of human life. This will push Pakistan’s already strained systems further under pressure.

Children affected by stunting can experience severe cognitive damage. They tend to have poorer memory, weaker attention and lower educational achievement. Some will develop disabilities requiring ongoing support. Many more will experience difficulties that limit their participation in school, work and society.

Not every undernourished child will develop a disability but when millions are exposed to this risk, the math becomes inescapable. Even a modest percentage translates into hundreds of thousands of children who will need early intervention, rehabilitation and inclusive education in the coming years. The wave is coming and Pakistan is not........

© Dawn