In a developing country like Pakistan, maternal nutrition is of paramount importance. A significant proportion of women in the country face undernutrition, obesity/being overweight or micronutrient malnutrition. Nearly 177, 000 annual deaths in Pakistan are linked to maternal and child malnutrition. Coupled with household food insecurity and a lack of adequate antenatal and postnatal services, lack of adequate hygiene and sanitation measures further exacerbate female nutritional status and expose women to infectious diseases. Other determinants of malnutrition include poverty, gender inequality, urbanisation, conflict and low levels of education.

The determinants of maternal malnutrition, while multifaceted in nature, include lack of food security and dietary diversity, limited or no access to adequate healthcare services, low quality of healthcare, existence of early marriage and childbearing norms, limited female education and employment opportunities as well as limited female agency existing in households. A significant proportion of households in Pakistan, 37% to be exact, face food insecurity, with this number being higher in rural, underdeveloped regions of the country. Furthermore, a mere 27.8% of women of reproductive age meet the minimum dietary diversity (MDD) requirements – a dismal figure.