Early childhood development

Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim.

Violence against children emerged as another pressing issue. The committee raised alarms over sexual violence, particularly against boys, gender-based violence, corporal punishment, and online abuse.

The American Psychological Association also made it clear that social media is not inherently beneficial or harmful to anyone, but each experience is affected by how one shapes their feed, who they choose to follow, etc.

Late at night at the Khamarbari intersection, groups of nearly 40 displaced individuals –including many children – huddle around small fires made from burning scraps of wood and paper. The flickering flames offer fleeting warmth against the biting chill, but the bare pavement beneath them provides no cushion or protection. Children in thin, filthy sweaters shiver as they chat or try to sleep, their bodies pressed together for shared heat.

Appreciating initiatives like Gift Milk and Shishu Sanjeevani by NDDB, Krishan Pal Gurjar said these programmes focus on aspirational districts, tribal areas, Anganwadi centres and government schools, ensuring alignment with local needs and last-mile delivery.

With humanitarian funding dwindling, critical supplementary feeding programmes risk being scaled back or halted altogether.

Despite the obstacles, Pakistan has shown significant reductions in reported polio cases in recent years, though sporadic outbreaks serve as stark reminders of how tenuous progress can be.

The evidence from the study is unequivocal, researchers point out: air pollution is a direct threat to children’s intellectual growth, disproportionately affecting the vulnerable.