Umeed Say Aagay

Une campagne de sensibilisation niveau national.

A National Level Awareness Raising Campaign Promoting Mother and Child Wellness in the First Thousand Days and Beyond by HDF In collaboration with Nutrition Section / SUN Secretariat, Ministry of Planning Development and Reform.

The most critical objective of the campaign is embedded in its “Call to Action” for saving lives. More than 177,000 children die every year in Pakistan before their fifth birthday, more than half of these deaths are due to conditions that could be prevented or treated with access to simple and affordable interventions. Malnourished children have a higher risk of death from common childhood illness such as diarrhea, pneumonia etc. Nutrition-related factors contribute to about 45% of deaths in children under 5 years of age. The economic consequences of malnutrition including lost laborers, healthcare expenses and lower productivity cost Pakistan US$7.6 billion, or 3 percent of GDP, every year.

Human Development Foundation (HDF), through this campaign, calls for an urgent action both at individual and collective levels to raise mass awareness about the alarming implications of malnutrition and the benefits of good nutrition and care practices. The campaign is not a standalone initiative or a one-off activity; due to consistent efforts, HDF has positioned itself to scale up successes of its proven and highly cost- effective model of Mother and Child Wellness Program which has successfully reduced the IMR, CMR, and MMR to less than 50% of the countrywide rates fighting numerous preventable diseases in over 300 villages located across Pakistan.

Through Umeed Say Aagay campaign, HDF is complementing the initiatives and ongoing efforts of the government and other partners (local to global) who are specifically focusing on promoting right nutrition in the First 1000 Days of mother and child to strengthen the foundation that lasts newborn’s entire lives. This is the most critical window that shapes their bodies and develop brains allowing them to do better in schools, take control of their lives and avail the choices and opportunities to have higher earnings and develop their own life trajectory.

Under the strategic leadership of Ministry of Planning Development and Reform and following a high collaborative approach, HDF is partnering with relevant stakeholders to multiply efforts and maximize their impact. Being one of the core members of Pakistan SUN Movement and part of Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance (SUN-CSA), HDF will be extended support by over 200-member organization of this alliance located across Pakistan. The SUN secretariat will share IEC material, covering 1000 days, from the existing pool for disseminated though HDF.

HDF will not only be capitalizing upon the existing social capital developed by its partner communities but also optimize the current and emerging partnerships with multi-stakeholder forums and SUN networks, media, academic institutes (Bahria University, CUST, COMSATS, Shifa Foundation) and youth forums/ platforms. The district level relevant government departments and community based organization will also be fully onboard and engaged. This collaborative venture holds a great promise to achieve campaign’s vision i.e. “No mother or child die due to any preventable causes of mortality especially malnutrition in the First 1000 Days”