Pakistani president urges united fight against poverty, malnutrition

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Arif Alvi has called on the nation to work together to fight the challenges of poverty, malnutrition, stunting and maternal and neonatal deaths.

The president made the remarks during an event here on Sunday, noting that 26 million children in Pakistan remain out of school.

He said China focused on the health and education sectors, which helped the country lift nearly 800 million people out of poverty, adding that Pakistan should follow the same development model.

Highlighting the role of women in the country's growth, Alvi said that the provision of health and education facilities to them is an important element in achieving the goal of women empowerment in Pakistan.

He underscored the importance of providing a safe working environment to women in order to include them in the workforce and make them contribute to the economic growth of the South Asian country.