22/09/2026
Malnutrition Awareness Campaign, 2026 officially started in Lahore.
SIGNS International hosted the launch of Malnutrition Awareness Campaign 2026 at Nine Tree Hotel, Gulberg, Lahore, on 19th September 2026, bringing together experts from healthcare, academia, nutrition, and allied fields to discuss the growing burden of malnutrition in Pakistan.
The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a panel discussion moderated by RD Amber Mustafa, Consultant Clinical Dietitian at Farooq Hospital DHA Lahore. She also put forth the significance of dietitians in hospital settings and their essential role in identifying, assessing, preventing, and managing malnutrition as part of comprehensive patient care.
The session opened with Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, Chairman SIGNS International, who highlighted the prevalence and different forms of malnutrition in Pakistan, including anemia, stunting, and wasting, emphasizing the need for coordinated and sustained action.
In his address, Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman proposed several key priorities, including the formation of a National Malnutrition Task Force, development of a dedicated website on malnutrition, prioritization of malnutrition in medical research—particularly in hospital settings—and making cost-benefit studies a routine part of nutrition interventions to demonstrate the impact of investing in malnutrition prevention and management.
The distinguished panel featured:
🔹 RD Amber Mustafa, Consultant Clinical Dietitian Farooq Hospital DHA Lahore
🔹 Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan — Vice Chancellor, Health Services Academy, Islamabad
🔹 Dr. Nadeem Bhatti — Vice Chancellor, Lahore Leads University
🔹 Dr. Irfan Elahi — Associate Professor, King Edward Medical University
🔹 Ammad Ahmad — Sports Nutritionist, Sports Fit 360
🔹 Dr. Samia Baig — Consultant Gynaecologist, Farooq Hospital
🔹 Dr. Aman Malik — Rector, University of Faisalabad
🔹 Nusrat Kausar — UK
Key recommendations from the discussion
The panel emphasized several important areas for strengthening nutrition care and awareness in Pakistan:
- Integrating dietitians across hospital departments
Every hospital department should have access to a qualified dietitian, with specialized training aligned with the nutritional needs of the patients and conditions managed within that department.
- Strengthening academia–healthcare collaboration
Universities and healthcare institutions should work together to conduct awareness initiatives, educational activities, research, and community-based interventions addressing malnutrition.
- Routine nutritional screening and early intervention
Nutritional status should be assessed early and regularly, particularly among vulnerable populations and hospitalized patients, to facilitate timely referral and intervention.
- Building nutrition awareness at the community level
Malnutrition cannot be addressed through clinical care alone. Public awareness initiatives should reach schools, universities, families, communities, and workplaces with practical and evidence-based nutrition information.
- Promoting multidisciplinary nutrition care
Effective management of malnutrition requires collaboration among dietitians, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals, with nutrition integrated into comprehensive patient care.
The launch served as an important platform for highlighting that malnutrition is a multidimensional challenge requiring collective action across healthcare, academia, communities, and policy.
As Malnutrition Awareness Week 2026 continues, SIGNS International remains committed to raising awareness, strengthening nutrition education, promoting evidence-based practice, and fostering collaboration to improve nutrition outcomes in Pakistan.
