By Murtala Muhammad
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) advocates local solutions, behaviour change and taking preventive measures against rising malnutrition among children in Bauchi State.
This is coming as the state’s stunting rate for malnourished children hits over fifty percent, damaging their physical and mental growth as well as cognitive functions.
The Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field, Office Dr Nuzhat Rafique who made the call during a news conference held in Bauchi, said appropriate feeding for the children and nutrition education for mothers would go a long way in preventing many children against malnutrition.
Dr Rafique warned that no child should be born malnourished, because even with the right treatment, a malnourished child suffers the damage that was already done.
She commended Bauchi state and twenty local governments for the release of three hundred million naira to procure the needed nutrition supplies as the malnurished children were in dire need of huge intervention.
The released funds according to her, would help the state access a matching grant from the UNICEF-managed Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), noting the state Governor’s promised to increase the amount to one billion naira by next year.
She emphasised that without the support of community, traditional and religious leaders, journalists as well as ward focal points, it would be impossible to change the narrative.
Also speaking, the Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Mrs Philomena Irene said the number of children with malnutrition was increasing everyday, describing the state’s stunting rate of above fifty percent as worrisome.
Mrs Irene, expressed the appreciation of UNICEF’s new Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Wafaa Saeed, noting that all stakeholders played vital advocacy roles in improving children’s welfare across the state.
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