From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Nutrition Officer in the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board (SPHCB), Mrs Ramatu Musa, said that the state has cured no fewer than 15,329 malnourished children from January to September.
Musa made this known while presenting the nutrition situation in the state, at a two-day meeting to strengthen Advocacy Skills and capacity of Health and Nutrition CSOs, Media and government officials held in Kaduna yesterday.
The meeting was organised by Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition (CS-SUNN) to identify areas of priorities in nutrition Intervention and development action plans for prompt implementation.
Ramatu, who was represented by Mr Jibril Isah, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, SPHCDB, said that a total of 21,265 malnourished children were admitted in various Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres in the state during the period.
The nutrition officer said that 124 children out of the figure died of malnutrition; 2, 128 defaulted on the treatment while 324 others could not be revived in the period under review due to other complications.
Musa said the CMAM centres were increased from 10 in two LGAs in 2017 to the current 77 in 15 LGAs, stabilisation centres were established in 17 General Hospitals for children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
According to her, the government’s intervention had significantly increased access to quality treatment of malnutrition in the state.
“We equally have 796 trained Community Volunteers, 45 in each LGA except Igabi with 63 and Kajuru 238 mobilising community members for optimal IYCF practices,” he said.
“A total of 95,906 mothers, women, grandmothers, and men were reached with Infant and Young Child Feeding messages by 904 support groups in the state.
“Out of the figure, 27,469 pregnant women were reached, 24,767 mothers of children less than six months of age, and 23,993 mothers of children six to 23 months.
“Others as 19,448 women of childbearing age, 12,762 grandmothers and 7,467 men, adding that 13,473 children under five years were referred to health facilities for treatment.
In his remarks, the State Coordinator of Civil Society-Scaling up Nutrition (CS-SUNN), Mr Silas Ideva, said that malnutrition among women and children continues to remain a major challenge to health and human development of the citizens of Kaduna State.
He however commended the present administration in the state for demonstrating significant commitment in tackling the malnutrition and health situation in the state.
Ideva further said Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) Project aims at strengthening the Nigeria nutrition systems to be more Result-driven, Effective, Serviceable, Efficient and Transparent (RESET) in delivering on their mandate
He said, ”two of the most critical factors mitigating the impact of this commitment is the inadequate funding and coordination of required intervention plans.”
