Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: The government is actively working on reduction of duties and taxes on the import of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) to facilitate general masses in the upcoming budget (2026-27). Official sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that the budget markers are working on the relief proposals to ensure availability of the MMS to the general masses including facilitation to the pharmaceutical sector. The Tax Policy Unit of the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) understands that Pakistan’s nutrition crisis is not only a health problem; it is an economic and national development emergency. The essential nutrients are necessary for the pregnant women. READ ALSO: Worsening nutrition crisis, growing economic cost came under sharp focus A World Bank past report noted that better nutrition supports productivity, economic growth and poverty reduction, while malnutrition imposes steep long-term costs. Nowhere are those costs more visible than in maternal and child nutrition. A mother’s health before, during and after pregnancy directly shapes the health of her baby. Yet for millions of women in Pakistan, the nutritional demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding far exceed what their daily diets can provide. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need extra energy and a reliable supply of essential vitamins and minerals. Without these, the risks are severe. Babies born to undernourished mothers are more likely to be born early, have low birth weight, be stillborn, or not survive the first month of life. “Women must be provided the nutrition their bodies need to support healthy pregnancies,” says Dr. NajiaAnjum, women’s health expert and Head of Gynae Department at Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore. “Failure to do so has serious consequences for the health of both the mother and her baby. Unfortunately, in the medical profession, we see these consequences on an ongoing basis due to the state of malnutrition in Pakistan.” The reality remains that Pakistan faces urgent challenges relating to maternal and child malnutrition. A UNICEF report stated that one in five women in South Asia is underweight, and about half are anemic, a grim regional reality that is acutely mirrored across Pakistan’s provinces, where micronutrient deficiencies run rampant among women from low-income communities. With regard to early childhood development, the statistics from Pakistan are alarming. The National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2018 found that 40.2% of children under five are stunted, 17.7% suffer from wasting, 28.9% are underweight, and more than half are anemic or deficient in essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin D. These are not marginal setbacks; they are warning signs of a generational crisis. The productivity of Pakistan’s growing population of 250 million stands to be seriously impacted by it, not to mention already-strained healthcare systems. The policymakers must also deal with present realities: a nutritionally diverse diet remains unaffordable and out of reach for vast numbers of Pakistani families. That is precisely why multiple micronutrient supplements, or MMS, should no longer be treated as optional or peripheral. The World Health Organization’s 2020 antenatal care guidance recommends multiple micronutrient supplements (containing 15 essential vitamins and minerals) for pregnant women as part of routine antenatal care. MMS is a simple intervention with the potential to reduce birth defects and improve child growth outcomes by addressing deficiencies that are common in low- and middle-income settings. This matters for Pakistan because MMS offers a practical, evidence-based and WHO-recommended way to close nutrient gaps during pregnancy when diet alone is not enough. The policy conclusion should be straightforward. Pakistan’s health authorities, regulators and lawmakers should move urgently to expand the availability of MMS, integrate it into routine antenatal care, and ensure that cost does not place it out of reach for low-income families. Possible next steps include fast-tracking regulatory pathways to expand the manufacturing and availability of MMS, while provincial health departments should systematically integrate it into routine antenatal care. Making MMS more accessible is not a substitute for better diets or broader nutrition reform. It is a practical step that can save lives now, reduce preventable harm and protect the country’s future. If Pakistan is serious about improving maternal and child health, MMS must be made widely available and policymakers should act without delay. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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