School nutrition program launched

LAHORE  –  Under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the School Nutrition Program was inaugurated at Divisional Public School by Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir, Minister for Housing Bilal Yasin and Salma Butt here on Monday. The initiative aims to improve children’s health through free health screenings and two months of nutrition-rich meals. A pilot project has been launched involving 38,000 children across 25 schools. According to Punjab Food Authority, screenings of 7,000 children have been completed so far with 2,200 identified as severely malnourished. An online portal has been established for parents, principals and nutritionists to access information about the program through the Punjab Food Authority website. The program is divided into two phases: the pilot phase involves initial screenings and food provision followed by another round of screenings to expand the program across Punjab. A School Coordination Committee, consisting of the principal and two teachers from each school, has been formed to monitor implementation. Lunch boxes for students are prepared in line with global food safety and nutrition standards with support from international nutrition organizations. Emphasizing the importance of nutrition, officials noted that 40% of children face stunting, 28% suffer from wasting, 30% have short stature relative to their age and 9.5% are overweight. The program aims to address these issues through diets that include meat, lentils, milk, yogurt, vegetables and vitamin-rich foods such as apples, pomegranates, carrots and leafy greens.  

Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir highlighted the lack of awareness about nutrition and its role in mental and physical development. Minister Bilal Yasin applauded the Punjab Food Authority and its team for laying the foundation for such initiatives and setting an example for other provinces.  

Salma Butt emphasized the alarming health statistics and the need for immediate action to combat malnutrition. She encouraged children to choose healthy foods over junk food. The DG Civil Services stressed the importance of raising awareness through print, electronic media and schools to promote healthy eating habits.  

Senior journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami and food expert Mohsin Bhatti addressed the students, providing guidance on maintaining nutrition-rich diets.  

DG Punjab Food Authority praised the officers who contributed from their own salaries to prepare lunch boxes. He highlighted that over 7,000 out of 10,000 children screened were severely malnourished and called for immediate emergency measures.  

Under the Chief Minister’s directive, the program will be nurtured to ensure that every child, from Lahore to Rajanpur, achieves better health and contributes to Punjab’s progress on a global scale.