Islamabad: Climate related pressures on food and health systems, combined with poor diets and persistent malnutrition, are hampering Pakistan’s progress on key global nutrition targets, leaving more than 41 percent of women anaemic and the country off course on obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and sodium intake goals, says 2026 Global Nutrition Report.
The ‘2026 Global Nutrition Report: Integrating Food and Health Systems for Climate-Resilient Nutrition’ warns that Pakistan is facing a growing double burden of malnutrition, where widespread undernutrition among women and children exists alongside rising obesity, diabetes and other non communicable diseases.
Although Pakistan has made progress in some areas, it remains off course on most nutrition related targets assessed under global monitoring frameworks.
Produced by the Independent Expert Group of the Global Nutrition Report and hosted by PATH, the report examines how climate change, food systems and health systems are interacting to influence nutrition outcomes worldwide. It warns that climate shocks, food insecurity, conflict and shrinking nutrition financing are undermining progress towards global nutrition targets, particularly in low and middle income countries.
According to Pakistan’s nutrition profile, 41.3 percent of women aged 15 to 49 years are affected by anaemia and the country has made no progress towards achieving the global target of reducing anaemia among women of reproductive age. The report identifies anaemia as one of Pakistan’s most persistent nutrition challenges, with implications for maternal health, pregnancy outcomes and child development.
Child malnutrition also remains a major concern as the report shows that 37.6 percent of children under five years of age are stunted due to chronic undernutrition, a prevalence substantially higher than the average for Asia, where 21.8 percent of children are affected.
Although Pakistan has made some progress in reducing stunting, more than one in every three children continues to suffer from impaired growth and development.
Similarly, 7.1 percent of children under five are affected by wasting, a form of acute malnutrition. While this is lower than the Asia regional average of 8.9 percent and reflects some progress, the burden remains significant.
The report also highlights the growing impact of unhealthy diets and lifestyle related diseases in Pakistan. An estimated 13.4 percent of adult women and 7.5 percent of adult men are living with obesity. Female obesity prevalence is higher than the regional average for Asia, while male obesity is equal to the regional average.
Diabetes affects an estimated 13.9 percent of adult women and 14.7 percent of adult men in Pakistan, placing the country off course for achieving global diabetes targets. Pakistan is also classified as off course on raised blood pressure and sodium intake targets for both men and women, reflecting increasing exposure to unhealthy dietary patterns and nutrition related risk factors.
Another concern highlighted in the report is the lack of sufficient data to assess Pakistan’s progress on reducing low birth weight, an important indicator of maternal and newborn health.
The report places these challenges within the broader context of climate change, warning that rising temperatures, extreme weather events, floods, droughts and other environmental shocks are increasingly disrupting food production systems, affecting food availability and affordability, damaging health infrastructure and reducing access to nutritious diets.
According to the report, climate change is lowering agricultural productivity in many regions, increasing food prices and placing additional pressure on vulnerable populations already facing malnutrition. These risks are particularly relevant for countries such as Pakistan, which has repeatedly experienced devastating floods, prolonged heatwaves, water stress and other climate related disasters in recent years.
Despite these challenges, the report identifies two areas where Pakistan is on course to achieve global nutrition targets. The country is on course to meet the target for exclusive breastfeeding, with 47.8 percent of infants aged zero to five months exclusively breastfed. Pakistan is also on course to prevent an increase in childhood overweight, which currently affects 2.5 percent of children under five years of age.
The report notes that Pakistan has adopted a National and Provincial Nutrition Convergence Programme for 2025-2030, aimed at reducing stunting and all forms of malnutrition through coordinated action involving health, nutrition, food systems, education and social protection sectors.
Under this commitment, Pakistan aims to reduce stunting among children under five from around 40 percent in 2018 to 32 percent by 2030. The report suggests that achieving this target will require stronger investments in maternal and child nutrition, food fortification, breastfeeding promotion, safe water and sanitation, social protection and more resilient food and health systems capable of withstanding climate related shocks.
Globally, the report warns that progress towards nutrition targets remains uneven, with an estimated 2.6 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet. It further cautions that reductions in international development assistance could undermine efforts to combat malnutrition and place millions of vulnerable women and children at greater risk.
The report says although Pakistan has recorded encouraging gains in breastfeeding and maintaining low levels of childhood overweight, the country remains off track on most major nutrition and diet related health targets, highlighting the need for stronger and more integrated action across food, health and climate sectors.
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