Accelerated Action Plan for Reduction of Stunting and Malnutrition (AAP) is a 10-year plan for improving health and nutrition of children as well as their mothers in Sindh province. Government of Sindh initiated AAP in 2017 in collaboration with World Bank, European Union, UNICEF, World Food Program and other development partners. Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. Keeping in view the nature of the challenge, first time multi-sector approach has been adopted in the shape of AAP.
Now AAP is a flagship program of Government of Sindh. The plan involves both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions focused on pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under age of five years. There are eight sectors viz. Health, Education, Livestock, Fisheries, Agriculture, Population Welfare, Social Protection and Strategy Unit, and Local Government. These sectors are implementing their respective activities across 23 prioritized districts of the province, where prevalence of stunting is above 40 percent. Overall budgetary allocation for AAP sectors under current fiscal year 2021-22 is Rs.6 billion. As a result of AAP implementation, stunting has reduced from 48% to 45.5% in Sindh (Source: NNS 2018)
Three-tier governance mechanism has been set up for effective implementation, oversight, coordination as well as collaboration among AAP Sectors, Development Partners and other stakeholders. There is a Steering Committee for Nutrition at provincial level, then District Coordination Committees for Nutrition (DCCN) and below the DCCN exists Sub-division/taluka Coordination Committees for Nutrition. The highest forum is the Provincial Steering Committee for Nutrition. In support of the Steering Committee, AAP Secretariat for Nutrition has been established, which is headed by Program Coordinator for Nutrition.
AAP Secretariat for Nutrition supports the activities of AAP in terms of supervision, coordination, and communication with internal and external stakeholders as well as provide strategic guidance. Program Coordinator for Nutrition is assisted by four directors (Finance, Communication, Procurement, and SAP/I.T) for running day-to-day affairs of the Secretariat. Further, each director has Assistant Director/s under them. Besides that, AAP Secretariat houses two staff members hired under the national campaign SUN (Scale Up Nutrition) and District Coordination Officers hired with support from UNICEF for regular facilitation and coordination for DCCN meetings. District Coordination and Support Mechanism: On 27th October 2017, the Government of Sindh notified District Coordination Committee for Nutrition (DCCN) in all districts of Sindh for overseeing and coordinating the execution of AAP activities in their respective districts. The DCCN is headed by the Deputy Commissioner of their respective district.
In addition to the DCCN, there are Sub-division/Taluka Coordination Committees for Nutrition. The mandate of these committees is to assist DCCN in terms of effective implementation of AAP interventions at the grassroots level.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shahbaz Sharif along with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto and other cabinet members visited an IDPs' camp at Sukkur on Saturday 27 Aug 2022 here at PPHI Sindh manage Free Medical Camp in Sukkur. Nutrition Team also established screening corner. Respected DM, Ms. Bushra Mansoor briefed the PM about Medical Camps of PPHI Sindh. Honorable PM took keen interest in Nutrition Corner. DNC and NA briefed him about program activities. He much appreciated the efforts of PPHI Sindh team and Nutrition program run under umbrella of AAP.
Animated Awareness Video regarding child nutrition disease
+92-21-35290316
taskforcesecretariat@gmail.com