….task SCFN on advocacy to government
By Lizzy Carr
A UNICEF facilitator on nutrition Jessica Bartholomew has stated that nutrition is the only to way get a nation’s human capital development right.
She was speaking at a 2-day State Committee on Food and Nutrition meeting aimed to build the capacity of members of Bauchi State Committee on Food and nutrition on basic nutrition package development activity, work plan and operationalization of performance management system that took place in Jos Plateau State.
Bartholomew said according to statistics Nigeria is home to the largest population of chronically undernourished children in the world with 11 million being stunted.
According to the expert, the NDHS 2018 highlighted Bauchi as contributing to this number with a stunting rate at 46%, wasting 9.5% and 28.2% underweight.
She added that as a committee with mandate to coordinate nutrition activities in the state, there is need to make government realize the need to address nutrition which is of critical importance for achieving SDGs, especially goals related to hunger, child and maternal health and education.
The facilitator noted that government needs to invest in interventions as childhood stunting is estimated to reduce at least 10% of potential life savings.
“According to world bank estimation increasing in nutrition can increase a country’s gross domestic product by at least 3% annually”.
Nutrition Officer UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Dr Martins Jackson emphasize the need for sustained awareness on exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of a child’s life to address malnutrition.
“UNICEF is counting on your commitment to change the narrative on issues around nutrition in Bauchi State, we shall continue to give you the necessary support “.
Secretary of Bauchi State Committee on Food and Nutrition Usman Muhammad said the capacity building on basic nutrition concepts, nutrition sensitive and specific interventions and, performance management system aims to enhance the effectiveness, knowledge, skills and practices of the committee in addressing malnutrition and promote optimal nutritional health across the State.
Specific objective is to also develop and implement a performance management system.
Giving an overview on the nutrition situation in Bauchi State, State nutrition Officer Abubakar Saleh said the state in the first quarter of 2024 had admitted 4,384 children with severe acute malnutrition across 14 integrated management of acute malnutrition IMAM centers.
Of these numbers, only 451 have completed treatment while the state recorded four deaths.
“The state commenced treatment in February 2024 when we took delivery of 17.000 cartoons of RUTF from USAID”.
