Wellma – Pakistan's First Social Marketing Initiative for Maternal Nutrition
Wellma is Pakistan's first social-marketed Balanced Energy Protein supplement, giving pregnant and lactating women in low-income urban communities affordable access to evidence-based nutrition through trusted healthcare providers.
Program Overview
Pakistan faces a severe nutrition crisis among pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), with 41.4% of women of reproductive age underweight and 41.7% suffering from anemia. The WHO recommends Balanced Energy Protein (BEP) supplements in populations where over 20% of women have a low BMI, yet the private sector maternal nutrition market in Pakistan remained virtually undeveloped.
To close this gap, Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM) – with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and strategic support from Hystra – launched Wellma, a branded BEP supplement, in low-income urban neighborhoods of Karachi and Rawalpindi. The program leveraged GSM's Social Marketing, Social Franchising, and Social Mobilization networks to generate demand, build provider capacity, and distribute Wellma through healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and community mobilizers. Building on field learnings, the program transitioned from a paste formulation to a more acceptable BEP Bar, and later introduced WHO-recommended UNIMMAP Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), establishing a pathway toward a sustainable maternal nutrition market in Pakistan.
At‑a‑Glance Information
- Target population(s): Pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) in wealth quintiles 2–5; low-income urban households
- Geographic coverage: Pakistan → Punjab & Sindh → Initially Karachi (Korangi) and Rawalpindi; expanded to Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Peshawar
- Service delivery channels: Facility (Sabz Sitara franchised clinics), Community (Sitara Baji mobilizers), Digital (Suno Saheli social media campaign, POOCHO helpline), Pharmacy
- Program period: January 2022 – December 2025
Problem Statement
What is failing? Despite WHO guidelines recommending Balanced Energy Protein supplementation for populations where more than 20% of women have a low BMI, Pakistan's private sector maternal nutrition market was valued at only ~USD 3 million annually at program inception – reaching a negligible fraction of the over one million undernourished pregnant and lactating women excluded from government support programs. There were no affordable, branded BEP products available through private healthcare channels or pharmacies.
Who is affected most? Pregnant and lactating women in low-income urban households (wealth quintiles 2–5) bear the greatest burden. National data show that 41.4% of women of reproductive age are underweight and 41.7% suffer from anemia (National Nutrition Survey 2018). Nearly two in five children under five are stunted, directly linked to inadequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Why existing systems are not solving this problem? The government's BEP provision (through the Benazir Income Support Program) reaches only the poorest quintile, leaving the vast lower-middle-income segment without access. Myths and misconceptions about BEP ingredients such as chickpeas and peanuts, concerns about cost, weak prescribing practices among providers, and the absence of national maternal nutrition guidelines created systemic barriers. No private enterprise had made the market-building investment required to establish awareness, acceptability, and willingness to pay for maternal nutrition products at scale.
Key Program Interventions
Intervention #1: Product Development & Market Introduction
Objective: Introduce and commercialize Wellma as an affordable, accessible, and acceptable BEP supplement for PLWs in urban Pakistan.
Implementation Modality: Social Marketing via healthcare provider, pharmacies, and direct-to-consumer outreach
- Launched Wellma BEP paste in Karachi and Rawalpindi within 3 months of project initiation, sourced from Ismail Industries.
- Engaged 740 healthcare providers from GSM's Sabz Sitara network.
- Developed consumer-facing IEC materials, FAQs, and awareness tools to counter product myths and misconceptions
- Transitioned from paste to Wellma BEP Bar (August 2025) following consumer feedback, achieving over 14% cost reduction and improved palatability
- Introduced WHO-recommended UNIMMAP Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in 2025 as a complement to BEP
- Conducted Wellma BEP Bar launch events in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi; expanded distribution to Faisalabad, Multan, Lahore, and Peshawar
Intervention #2: Community Mobilization & Demand Generation
Objective: Generate awareness and demand for Wellma among PLWs through community workers, digital outreach, and Well Mother camps.
Implementation Modality: Social Mobilization: door-to-door outreach transitioning to In-Service Outreach Worker (ISOW) model; digital social media; community camps
- Deployed 40 Sitara Bajis (female community mobilizers) for door-to-door visits.
- Transitioned to the In-Service Outreach Worker (ISOW) model, placing Sitara Bajis inside clinics to counsel PLWs at point of care, improving efficiency
- Organized 'Well Mother' community camps at provider clinics offering subsidized MCH services and Wellma awareness sessions
- Launched 'Suno Saheli' digital campaign across social media platforms to drive awareness of BEP and MMS among women of reproductive age
- Conducted workplace meetings and youth sensitization sessions on maternal nutrition.
- Registered 120,436 PLWs in community outreach activities over the core implementation period (March 2022 – August 2023)
Intervention #3: Healthcare Provider Capacity Building
Objective: Equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and confidence to prescribe Wellma and counsel PLWs on maternal nutrition.
Geographic Focus: Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar
- Trained 540 healthcare providers overall on maternal nutrition and Wellma prescription protocols
- Conducted 21 Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions and 6 roundtable discussions for provider capacity building
- Conducted hospital ward activities training 121 Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) and paramedics at major facilities including LNH and JPMC
- Engaged SOGP consultants to endorse the product during refresher trainings, distinguishing BEP from simple vitamin preparations
- Signed MoU with SOGP to support provider training and MMS scale-up; SOGP published national Maternal Nutrition Guidelines on its official website
- Trained chemists on over-the-counter sales and developed FAQ toolkits enabling providers to address PLW queries with scientific evidence
Intervention #4: Policy Advocacy & Market Development
- Formed a Maternal Nutrition Advisory Board comprising experts from government, SOGP, Nutrition Society, Pakistan Medical Association, and Pakistan Nutrition and Dietic Society
- Supported development and publication of Pakistan's first national Maternal Nutrition Guidelines by SOGP
- Disseminated BEP Urban Market Test findings to government representatives, development partners, and civil society in Islamabad
- Presented research at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) 2025 in Bogotá and the 15th International Public Health Conference, Islamabad
- Participated in global platforms including the Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby initiative and the Micronutrient Forum
- Advocated for a national maternal nutrition policy in partnership with SOGP and nutrition sector stakeholders
IMPACT & RESULTS
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| PLWs registered in community outreach | 120,436 Women |
| Total women reached | 244,523 Women |
| Healthcare providers trained | 540 Providers |
| Sitara Baji's (community health workers) trained | 210 CHWs |
| CME sessions conducted | 136 Sessions |
| Hospital RMOs & paramedics trained | 121 Personnel |
| Household visits by Sitara Bajis | 44,940 Households |
| HCPs reporting increased revenues with Wellma | 88% of surveyed HCPs |
EVENTS, PHOTOS & VIDEOS
BEP Wellma Bar & UNIMMAP MMS Product Launch and Healthcare Provider Training Karachi
Product launch and provider training session in Karachi.
BEP Wellma Bar & UNIMMAP MMS Product Launch and Healthcare Provider Training Lahore
Product launch and provider training session in Lahore.
BEP Wellma Bar & UNIMMAP MMS Product Launch and Healthcare Providers Training - Islamabad
Product launch and provider training session in Islamabad.
BEP Wellma Bar & UNIMMAP MMS Product Launch and Healthcare Provider Training Peshawar
Product launch and provider training session in Peshawar.
Dissemination Event
Findings dissemination and stakeholder engagement.
ICFP Bogota, Columbia 2025
International Conference on Family Planning presentation.
Well Mother Camps
Community-based maternal nutrition camps.
PUBLICATIONS & KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS
PARTNERS & DONORS
Implementation & Strategic Partners
Donor / Funder
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