Health workers administer vaccines to children in Bauchi to combat malnutrition among U-5 children.
By Umar Sa’id, Baúchi
In its efforts to fight against malnutrition especially among U-5 children in the Bauchi State, the state government has approved the release of the sum of N300m as counterpart funding for the procurement of nutritional food and nutrients to fight severe acute malnutrition in children U-5 across the State.
The State Commissioner of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, disclosed this yesterday at the closing out ceremony of Alive & Thrive fhi360, 3 years accelerating the scale-up of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (ASMIYCN), Project and Dissemination of the State Essential Medicine Lists and MMS Project in Bauchi State.
According to the Commissioner the money is to be made available to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which will add same amount under the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) project making it N600m
He stressed that the Government is committed to supporting the improvement of quality, efficient service delivery in the healthcare sector in order to keep a healthy society.
Dr Sani added that the State has enjoyed the 3 years of support and service provided by Alive & Thrive fhi360 in terms of nutrition and dietary practices by women and children.
He expressed confidence that the close-out would not be the end of partnership with the Alive & Thrive fhi360 as the state looks forward to more projects from the organisation.
Earlier speaking the Country Representative, of Alive and Thrive fhi360, Dr. Victor Ogbodo, commended the State Government for accepting and supporting the project saying, “As a release, in closing, another one is about to open.”
The Country Representative represented by the STA, Maternal Nutrition fhi360, Alive & Thrive, Dr James Oloyede, appreciated the reception, acceptance, collaboration with Alive & Thrive and later Fhi360 throughout the duration of the project saying, this has been demonstrated by unalloyed support given to A&T team in the state.”
He explained that Alive & Thrive fhi360 launched an Accelerating scale up MYCN project in 2022 to increase access to high quality maternal, infant & Young children’s need to mitigate malnutrition among women and children thereby impacting positively on nutrition narrative in the country, which will improve the health of mothers and children.
He also stated that nationally ANC attendance also dropped to 43% from 67% while health facilities deliveries rose to 43%, he however expressed happiness that in the 89 PHCs in 6 LGAs where it worked, things were improved.
Also in his address, Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said maternal and child nutrition is a cornerstone of human capital development as women are healthy and adequately nourished during pregnancy, when infants are breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life, and when children receive adequate complementary feeding thereafter is foundation for a healthier, stronger, and more productive society.”
,”We recognize and commend the tireless contributions of our health workers, community volunteers, traditional and religious leaders, and indeed the mothers and families across Bauchi who embraced and practiced new ways of ensuring better nutrition and health for their children”, he added
