Islamabad
\nThe Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), in collaboration with Nutrition International, supported financially by GIZ, has launched the Social Protection Support Program for Adolescent Girls\u2019 Nutrition (SOPRAN) today. 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.
\nDuring the event, Mr. Naveed Akbar, Director General BISP (NSER\/CCT), highlighted that SOPRAN will leverage BISP\u2019s existing Taleemi Wazaif program, empowering girls to become \u201cagents of change\u201d 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\u2014Shaheed Benazirabad, Faisalabad, Swat, Quetta, Kotli, Skardu, and Islamabad\u2014aiming to improve their nutritional status and prevent anaemia.
\nDr. Shabina Raza, Country Director of Nutrition International, emphasized the critical need to focus on adolescent girls\u2019 health, noting that the project will significantly contribute to reducing anaemia and promoting better nutrition outcomes. \u201cBy integrating nutrition interventions into social protection platforms like BISP, we are addressing a major health challenge and empowering the next generation,\u201d she said.
\nThe 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.
\nRepresentatives from key organizations, including Ms. Zeina Sifri of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ms. 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.
\nThe 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad 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\u2019 Nutrition (SOPRAN) today. 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433962,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-433943","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n