Why first 1,000 days of a child’s life are critical for long-term health

The first 1, 000 days of a child’s life are critical for nutrition, immunity, brain development and long-term health. In Pakistan, however, newborn care, immunisation, feeding support and developmental monitoring are often delivered through separate programmes, rather than being connected through a single system that follows a child continuously. This raises questions about whether children receive continuous care from birth through early childhood. If these services are fragmented, there is a concern that a child might receive one service but miss another as they grow. Dr D. S. Akram discusses the medical needs at each stage and the policy reforms Pakistan may need to create a more connected child health system. The conversation also explores what better coordination could mean for child nutrition, vaccination, development and public health outcomes. The ACT For Nutrition conference — being held on September 2 and 3 at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel — brings together global humanitarian leaders, international institutions, economists, clinicians, lawyers, frontline organisations and provincial governments to confront Pakistan’s malnutrition crisis openly, understand its interconnected causes, and identify solutions with the urgency they demand. View the agenda here.

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