Islamabad: A pilot initiative under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has generated encouraging evidence on improving nutrition practices and preventing iron-deficiency (anemia) among adolescent girls in seven districts of Pakistan, paving the way for potential nationwide scale-up. As a result, 103,289 adolescent girls received Weekly Iron and Folic Acid (WIFA) tablets in 425 schools across the seven districts while 247,956 girls participated in school-based nutrition education sessions aimed at promoting healthier dietary practices and awareness on anemia prevention.
Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid, in her welcome address at the event titled 'SOPRAN Learning Dissemination,' organized by BISP in collaboration with German Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation, highlighted that SOPRAN aims to leverage social assistance programmes particularly BISP's Conditional Cash Transfers to improve nutrition practices among adolescent girls and their households, while preventing iron-deficiency anemia through integrated interventions. She stated that the pilot project has been implemented in seven districts across Pakistan, generating valuable evidence for future scale-up.
She emphasized that BISP, as a social protection institution, extends beyond financial assistance by contributing to education, health, and the overall wellbeing of beneficiary families, in alignment with national development priorities. Paying tribute to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, she described her as a source of leadership, strength, and inspiration, whose visionary initiative laid the foundation for BISP as a transformative platform for women's empowerment and social uplift.
Senator Rubina Khalid expressed gratitude to the Government of Germany, the Gates Foundation, and all technical partners for their continued support and collaboration. She stated that SOPRAN builds upon existing delivery systems, eliminating the need for parallel structures, and holds strong potential for expansion across the country. She stressed the need for enhanced awareness on health, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles, appreciating current efforts while underscoring the necessity for wider outreach. She further suggested integrating such awareness into educational curricula and highlighted the critical role of parents in driving behavioral change. Reaffirming BISP's commitment, she pledged continued collaboration with all partners to advance collective efforts for a healthier, stronger Pakistan.
Earlier, a young girl, Laraib Rasheed, shared reflections on her journey with SOPRAN and spoke about her personal experience with the initiative. She appreciated the role of BISP in creating awareness and highlighted the importance of SOPRAN, stating how the programme had positively influenced her lifestyle, health awareness, and daily nutrition practices.
The SOPRAN initiative reflects BISP's continued commitment to strengthening social protection through strategic partnerships that align with national priorities. Implemented under BISP's leadership, the programme brings together the support of the German Government and the Gates Foundation through GIZ, alongside the technical expertise of Nutrition International, CERP, and the World Food Programme. This collaborative approach has enabled the integration of nutrition-sensitive interventions within social protection frameworks, ensuring that evidence, innovation, and service delivery work in tandem to address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls.
Through SOPRAN, BISP has advanced a comprehensive model that links nutrition, awareness, and empowerment for adolescent girls in seven districts across Pakistan. The initiative delivers targeted interventions, including weekly iron and folic acid (WIFA) supplementation, promotion and access to fortified wheat flour, and community-based nutrition awareness and behaviour change activities. These efforts have strengthened outreach mechanisms, improved understanding of nutrition, and generated valuable evidence to inform policy and programme design. By embedding learning, coordination, and delivery within existing systems, SOPRAN has reinforced BISP's role as a leading institution in advancing inclusive, nutrition-sensitive social protection and laying the groundwork for sustained, nationally owned impact supported by development partners.
The event also featured remarks from Helene Paust of the German Embassy, Maria-Jos© Poddey, Country Director GIZ Pakistan, and Zeina Sifri from the Gates Foundation, who shared partner and donor perspectives on collaborative nutrition programming. The ceremony concluded with shield distribution by Chairperson BISP Senator Rubina Khalid to the representatives of partner organizations in recognition of their contributions.