BISP & Nutrition International launch ‘social protection support program for adolescent girls’ nutrition, targeting 100,000 girls with essential nutrition interventions

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27 (SABAH): The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), in collaboration with Nutrition International, supported financially by GIZ, has launched the Social Protection Support Program for Adolescent Girls’ Nutrition (SOPRAN). This initiative aims to provide nutrition support to 100,000 adolescent girls across Pakistan, enhancing their health and well-being through a comprehensive nutrition intervention.

During the event, Naveed Akbar, Director General BISP (NSER/CCT), highlighted that SOPRAN will leverage BISP’s existing Taleemi Wazaif program, empowering girls to become “agents of change” within their communities. The program will provide weekly iron and folic acid supplements, nutrition education, and access to fortified wheat flour for adolescent girls and their families. It will be rolled out in public schools across seven districts—Shaheed Benazirabad, Faisalabad, Swat, Quetta, Kotli, Skardu, and Islamabad—aiming to improve their nutritional status and prevent anaemia.

Dr. Shabina Raza, Country Director of Nutrition International, emphasized the critical need to focus on adolescent girls’ health, noting that the project will significantly contribute to reducing anaemia and promoting better nutrition outcomes. “By integrating nutrition interventions into social protection platforms like BISP, we are addressing a major health challenge and empowering the next generation,” she said.

The pilot project, running for one year, will not only provide Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFAS) but will also enhance the availability of fortified wheat flour through local chakkis in three districts by strengthening the capacity of millers, developing market linkages, and supporting infrastructure for food fortification.

Representatives from key organizations, including Zeina Sifri of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Johanna Knoess from GIZ, and officials from the German Embassy and the Federal Ministry of National Health Services, also spoke at the event. They commended the SOPRAN project for its innovative approach, linking social protection with nutrition to address the significant nutritional challenges faced by adolescent girls in Pakistan.

The SOPRAN initiative represents a step forward in ensuring better nutrition for vulnerable adolescent girls, ultimately contributing to the broader goals of public health and social empowerment in Pakistan.