Bauchi Govt Receive Items To Improving MIYCN Services
By Murtala Muhammad
Bauchi State government receives donated equipment from Bill and Melinda Gates funded Alive and Thrive Fhi360 project for use in improving Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition MIYCN services in the state.
Receiving the items, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adamu Sambo said the intervention would go a long way in complementing government’s effort towards improving the negative nutrition indices the state was battling with over the years.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ali Babayo the Commissioner assure Alive and Thrive that the items would be judiciously utilized and appreciated the project for the gesture.
In a remark, the Acting Country Director of Alive and Thrive, Dr Victor Ogbodo said the items donated were meant to be handed over to Durun Primary Health Care Center, in Bauchi local government area identified as first Center for Excellence in MIYCN service delivery.
Dr Victor Ogbodo who is also the Project Director, said Bauchi has all it take to show example for other states to copy, emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in managing MIYCN services.
He argued that to actualize the set goal of improving MIYCN services in the state, a strong political will was paramount.
On his part, the Executive Chairman, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, represented by the Agency’s Director PHC, Sule Madugu acknowledged the interventions offered to the state by Alive and Thrive which include training of health workers and other technical assistance.
Chairperson, Caretaker Committee, Bauchi Local Government Area, Hajiya Zainab Baban Takko, said the items donated would increase access to nutritional services in Durun PHC and appreciated the NGO for the gesture, assuring that the items would be put to good use.
Radio Nigeria gathered that, apart from the equipment, leaflets containing vital information on good dieting practice during pregnancy, six months of exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding and even quantity of food to give the child after breastfeeding were handed over to the state government.
