AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) convened the inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee for the SOPRAN project, an initiative aimed at combating malnutrition among adolescent girls in Pakistan. Held at BISP Headquarters, the meeting brought together key stakeholders to outline strategies for integrating nutritional support into social protection measures.
According to Press Information Department, Mr. Naveed Akbar, Director General of BISP, opened the meeting with a focus on the critical need to address malnutrition, which affects over half of the country’s adolescent girls. He detailed the SOPRAN project’s approach, which includes the provision of iron-folic acid supplements and aims to empower girls as agents of change within their communities.
The project will operate across seven districts—Faisalabad, Swat, Shaheed Benazirabad, Quetta, Kotli, Skardu, and Islamabad. It plans to enhance nutrition education, access to fortified foods, and community-driven behavior change. This multi-faceted approach is designed to improve family health outcomes by enabling girls to lead in nutritional advocacy and practice within their families.
Stakeholders from various sectors including health, education, and food authorities participated in discussions on integrating project activities with existing food systems and the fortification of wheat flour. The meeting emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration and the role of local actors in the project’s success.
In closing, Mr. Akbar highlighted the need for robust provincial and district-level coordination to ensure effective implementation and called for the nomination of focal persons to facilitate communication and project milestones. The meeting ended with a collective commitment to advancing the project’s goals and enhancing the nutritional status of adolescent girls across Pakistan.
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