UHS, UNICEF launch nutrition training programme for MBBS students

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Monday launched the first phase of a four-part capacity-building programme in collaboration with UNICEF aimed at incorporating nutrition and child health interventions into the MBBS curriculum across Punjab.

The initiative began with a three-day training workshop on Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), attended by medical educationists, pediatricians, public health experts, and healthcare trainers from medical colleges and teaching hospitals across the province.

The programme is being organized by the UHS Department of International Linkages.

Under the UHS-UNICEF collaborative initiative, four specialized trainings will be conducted between May and June 2026 on Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), Early Childhood Development (ECD), and Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS).

The workshops are designed to harmonize nutrition-related teaching in undergraduate medical education in line with UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

The ongoing CMAM workshop focuses on early identification, timely treatment, referral pathways, stabilization care, supplementary feeding, and community-based follow-up of children suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition.

According to WHO estimates, nearly 45 million children under the age of five worldwide suffer from acute malnutrition, while UNICEF reports indicate that one in every three Pakistani children faces malnutrition or growth-related problems.

Health experts say poor nutrition remains one of the leading causes of illness, stunted growth, and child mortality in developing countries, including Pakistan. 

Addressing the participants, UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore said the collaboration with UNICEF reflected the university’s commitment to aligning medical education with emerging public health priorities.