BENAZIR NASHONUMA PROGRAMME
- Background & Objectives
Pakistan faces one of the highest burdens of child undernutrition globally and remains off track in meeting its international commitments on food security and nutrition. Progress on key outcome indicators particularly child stunting, wasting, maternal nutrition, and diet affordability has been slow and uneven, with recurrent climate and economic shocks eroding development gains. Accelerated and nutrition-specific social protection interventions are therefore essential to bridge the gap between policy commitments and outcomes.
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THE CHALLENGE : PAKISTAN'S NUTRITION CRISIS
Accelerated nutrition-specific social protection is essential to bridge the gap between policy commitments and outcomes
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140
SDG Index Rank
SDG 2 classified as "major challenges remain"
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20%
Undernourished
Over one-fifth of Pakistan's population
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1/3
Children Stunted
More than one-third of children under five
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60%
Diet Unaffordable
Households cannot afford a nutritionally adequate diet
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Wasting continues at emergency levels in several districts. Under prevailing trajectories, Pakistan is unlikely to achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030 ranking 140 out of 167 on the SDG Index.
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- Benazir Nashonuma Program: Mandate, Scale, and Design
Against this backdrop, the Benazir Nashonuma Program (BNP) represents the Government of Pakistan’s first and largest dedicated stunting-prevention initiative aligned with international nutrition commitments. Anchored in the BISP social protection platform and delivered through the national health system with UN partner support, BNP adopts an integrated approach combining conditional cash transfers, provision of specialized nutritious foods, renovation and operationalization of Facilitation Centers, social and behavior change communication, and maternal, newborn, and child health services, with a focus on the first 1,000 days of life.
Launched in August 2020 as a pilot in nine districts, BNP has now scaled to 158 districts nationwide, operating through 558 Facilitation Centers and reaching more than 4.6 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under two years of age. A dedicated digital platform enables real-time beneficiary registration, verification, compliance tracking, and payments, integrated with BISP, NADRA, and partner banking systems, ensuring transparency and operational efficiency.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERVENTION
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PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
OF THE INTERVENTION
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BNP addresses root causes of malnutrition through a multi-pronged, evidence-based approach that aligns Pakistan's social protection framework with global nutrition commitments.
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1
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Preventing Child Stunting
Focus on reducing stunting in children under two by ensuring access to nutrition and health services.
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2
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Improving Maternal Weight Gain
Enhance weight gain in pregnant women to support healthy fetal development and birth outcomes.
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3
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Reducing Anemia and Deficiencies
Address anemia and micronutrient deficiencies to improve immunity and development in women and children.
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4
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Nutrition Education and Counseling
Increase awareness through structured counseling promoting healthy maternal and child nutrition behaviors.
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5
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Reduce Disease Burden
Reduced disease burden through improved uptake of available health and nutrition services
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6
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Prevent Low Birth Weight
Reduced disease burden through improved uptake of available health and nutrition services
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- DESIGN PARAMETERS
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WHAT IS THE BENAZIR NASHONUMA PROGRAMME?
An integrated, evidence-based approach anchored in BISP and delivered through the national health system with WFP, UNICEF and WHO support
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BNP targets the child's first 1,000 days starting from conception till second birthday: BNP is operational in 558 FCs in 158 Districts across Pakistan providing following core services.
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1
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Conditional Cash Transfers
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Quarterly stipends to beneficiary, tied to health compliance milestones.
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2
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Specialized Nutritious Foods
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Provision of SNF to pregnant, breastfeeding women and children under two years of age.
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Social & behavior change communication promoting dietary diversity and healthy household practices.
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Maternal, newborn, and child health services fully integrated with the national health system.
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- Eligibility & Evidence:
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA & EVIDENCE REQUIRED
Implemented in collaboration with UNICEF, WFP, WHO & Provincial Departments of Health
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WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
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1
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Pregnant (any stage) or lactating woman aged 18-59 years already enrolled under the Kafaalat programme
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2
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Children of a Kafaalat Beneficiary under 2 years of age
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3
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Beneficiary must be resident of the area selected for programme rollout
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EVIDENCE REQUIRED
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Pregnancy Screening
Screened for pregnancy at a registered Health Facility
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Valid CNIC
Computerized National Identity Card of the beneficiary
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FRC for Child Registration
Valid Family Registration Certificate issued by NADRA
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Immunization
Valid Immunization Card from EPI
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- Cash Stipend & Compliance Criteria:
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CASH STIPEND & COMPLIANCE CRITERIA
Conditional cash transfers of up to Rs. 42,500/- per beneficiary, structured to incentivize health-seeking behaviour
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QUARTERLY STIPEND STRUCTURE
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Beneficiary Type
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Stipend / Quarter
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Pregnant Woman
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PKR 3,500
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Boy Child (under 2 years)
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PKR 3,500
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Girl Child (under 2 years)
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PKR 4,000
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The child graduates from the programme after 2 years of age. The higher stipend for girl children reflects the programme's gender-responsive design.
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Follow-up Criteria & Compliance
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Health Checks
Regular antenatal & postnatal visits and awareness sessions during pregnancy and childbirth
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Consume SNF
Consuming specialized nutritious food (SNF) as recommended by health workers
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Routine Immunization
Ensuring routine immunization for their children per the national immunization schedule
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Growth Monitoring
Regular health checks and quarterly growth monitoring visits for children under two
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- PROJECT AREA
Initially, the programme was piloted in 9 districts of the country, which was later expanded to 15 districts. After successful implementation of the pilot phase, BISP Board approved the rollout of the programme throughout the country.
Currently, Nashonuma Programme is operationalized in 158 districts of the country with a network of over 558 Nashonuma Centres (FCs) including mobile units as well.
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SCALE OF OPERATIONS
ACROSS PAKISTAN
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158
Districts Operationalized
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558
Nashonuma Centres
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169
Nutrition Stabilization Centers
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4.6M
Total Beneficiaries Reached 2.1M Pregnant Women 2.5M Children under Two Years
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1.3M
Mothers, caregivers, and adolescents reached through Community Engagements
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53K
Sever Acute Malnourished (Complicated) children treated with more than 97% cure rate
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A dedicated digital platform enables real-time beneficiary registration, verification, compliance tracking, and payments integrated with BISP, NADRA, and partner banking systems.
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- Program Performance, Evidence of Impact and Value Proposition
BNP is built on strong global and local evidence, including operational research and nutrition impact studies. An independent impact evaluation conducted by the Aga Khan University (funded by Gates Foundation) confirms the program’s effectiveness.
- Scalable Government Platform
The programme is government-owned, scalable, and targets the poorest households via a social registry for efficient resource use.
- Gender-Responsive and Sustainable
Its gender-sensitive design and integration with public health services enhance effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
- Donor Contributions and Outcomes
Donors contribute to measurable maternal and child health outcomes while strengthening national health systems.
- Alignment with International Commitments and SDGs
The programme aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and global nutrition evidence for results-oriented financing
Key Findings of End-line Impact Evaluation:
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CHILD HEALTH IMPACT
AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY (AKU) ENDLINE RESULTS
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18%
Lower Risk of Stunting
Relative risk of stunting among children at 12 months is 18% lower among Nashonuma beneficiaries equivalent to a 10.1 percentage-point reduction
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7%
Lower SVN Risk
Risk of delivering a Small, Vulnerable Newborn (SVN) baby is 7% lower among Nashonuma beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries
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90%+
Immunization Coverage
Immunization coverage by 12 months of age among Nashonuma beneficiary's vs <80% among non-beneficiaries a 17% increase
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22%
Lower stunting at 6 months
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↓ 12%
Child anaemia reduced
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+17%
Full immunization coverage increase
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↑
Child development scores improved
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<25%
Dietary diversity achieved, yet still impacted
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"Some of the strongest results ever documented globally for a nutrition programme" AKU Independent Impact Evaluation, May 2026
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DELIVERING MEASURABLE IMPACT MATERNAL & BIRTH OUTCOMES
AKU Endline Evaluation (Cohort Design)
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MATERNAL OUTCOMES
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100%
ANC Uptake
Increase in antenatal care uptake among Nashonuma beneficiaries
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+24g
Weight Gain /week
Improved pregnancy weight gain of 24g per week compared to non-beneficiaries
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0.36g/dL
Hemoglobin Protected
Smaller decline in hemoglobin levels, protecting mothers from anaemia during pregnancy
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BIRTH OUTCOMES
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↓6%
Low Birth Weight
Reduction in low birth weight among Nashonuma beneficiary's vs non-beneficiaries
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↓11%
Preterm Births
Lower rate of preterm births, protecting newborns from complications of premature delivery
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↓7%
Small Vulnerable Newborns
Lower risk of delivering a Small Vulnerable Newborn (SVN) baby vs non-beneficiaries
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Source: Aga Khan University (AKU) Independent Impact Evaluation
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- KEY IMPLEMENTING PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
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KEY IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS
A robust multi-stakeholder partnership combining government ownership with UN technical expertise and provincial Health Dept.
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DoH
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Provincial Dept. of Health (DoH)
Health System Integration
Provision of Health Services and Logistical support. Setting health standards and protocols
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WFP
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World Food Programme
Service Delivery, SNF Supply Chain & Distribution
Manages service delivery through Facilitation Centers, Procurement, Supply chain and distribution of Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNF) to all 558+ Facilitation Centers and beneficiaries across 158 districts.
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UNICEF
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UNICEF
Social Behavior Change and Community Engagement
Social and Behavior Change Communication and community engagement activities along with mobilization. Procurement of specialized commodities
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WHO
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World Health Organization
Managing NSCs and MIYCN
Management of Nutrition Stabilization Centers and treatment of SAM Complicated children
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