LAHORE – In a significant step towards addressing child malnutrition, the Punjab government has launched the country’s first and largest school nutrition program, aimed at improving the health of students across the province.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the Chief Minister’s School Nutrition Program in Dera Ghazi Khan, marking the start of a pilot project that will provide primary school students in three districts—Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Muzaffargarh—with daily milk packs. These districts were chosen due to their high rates of malnutrition, with the program specifically designed to provide children with vital nutrients to support their growth and development.
During the launch, Maryam Nawaz personally distributed milk packs to students at a local government primary school and engaged with them, inquiring about their well-being and academic progress. The program aims to reach over 400,000 students, with each child receiving a 175ml pack of fortified milk every day.
The initiative covers 3,527 schools across the three districts and emphasizes sustainability through recycling. Students will return their empty milk packs to the schools, where the packs will be recycled. The revenue generated from this recycling will be reinvested into the schools, creating a circular benefit for the educational institutions involved.
This groundbreaking program represents a major effort by the Punjab government to tackle child malnutrition and improve the overall health and educational outcomes of students in the province.
