Ahsan calls for integrated action to reduce anemia among women, girls, children

ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday stressed the need for an integrated, coordinated and results-oriented approach to reduce anemia among women, adolescent girls and children, terming the National Anemia Reduction Plan (2025–2030) vital to strengthening human capital and achieving sustainable economic development.

Addressing the launch ceremony of the plan, the minister said approximately two out of every five women of reproductive age and more than one out of every two adolescent girls and young children were affected by anemia, describing the figures as deeply concerning.

He said that anemia was not merely a health issue but a major barrier to learning, well-being, maternal and child health and economic participation, adding that no nation could realize its full potential if a significant proportion of its girls and women remained held back by preventable health and nutrition challenges.

The minister appreciated the comprehensive design of the plan, which addressed both nutritional and non-nutritional causes of anemia across the life course, and said it provided a framework for better coordination and more effective interventions.

He said that anemia could result not only from iron deficiency but also from other nutritional deficiencies, infections, inflammation, reproductive health conditions, inherited blood disorders and wider social determinants.

Therefore, he said that an effective response required coordinated action across health and nutrition, education, social protection, food systems, water, sanitation and hygiene, and community-level services.

Ahsan Iqbal said that the plan offered an opportunity to move away from fragmented interventions towards a unified national effort with clearly defined responsibilities and a strong focus on measurable results. He said that the plan complemented the country’s broader development agenda under URAAN Pakistan, its Five Es Framework and the 13th Five-Year National Development Plan, which recognized stronger human capital, higher productivity and inclusive opportunities as essential pillars of sustainable development.

Improving the health and nutrition of girls and women, he added, was integral to this vision and would also advance Pakistan’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals and the wider global health agenda.

Highlighting the importance of translating the plan into tangible improvements in people’s lives, the minister called for sustained provincial ownership, adequate and predictable financing, stronger service delivery, improved diagnosis, reliable data and continued investment in research and innovation.

He stressed that underserved communities required particular attention to ensure that girls, women and children facing the greatest barriers were not left behind.

The minister said progress should be measured not merely by activities undertaken but by concrete outcomes, including improved access to support for girls, better women’s health, wider coverage of vulnerable communities and stronger systems for the early identification and treatment of anemia.

He underscored the importance of evidence-based policymaking, effective coordination and accountability in implementing the plan, while acknowledging the contributions of the Ministry of National Health Services, provincial governments, academia and development partners, particularly SAACR, UNICEF and WHO.

Calling for sustained collaboration among all stakeholders, Ahsan Iqbal said that investment in the health and nutrition of girls and women was central to nation-building rather than a peripheral concern. “Better nutrition and health can support stronger educational outcomes, healthier mothers and children, greater productivity and a more resilient economy,” he said, adding that such investment generated benefits extending across generations.

The minister said national development should not be confined to physical infrastructure, such as factories, cities, power plants and transmission lines. He said that infrastructure was an important component of development, but genuine and sustainable progress depended on human resource development. Pakistan could not be considered a developed country merely by constructing buildings and cities without investing in the development of its people, he added.

He expressed the confidence that evidence-based policies, effective coordination and sustained commitment could help Pakistan move towards a healthier, more productive and equitable society.