By Sani Idris abdulrahman
The Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP), in collaboration with UNICEF, has mobilised the 23 LGA Chairmen in Kaduna to elicit their buy-in towards addressing malnutrition especially at the grassroots level.
The meeting also held simultaneously across zone two and three of the state, included the LGA Vice Chairmen, Health Secretaries and Nutrition Focal Persons (NFPs) to discuss and proffer solutions on malnutrition in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting with the LGA executives was in a move towards addressing malnutrition, keying into the “Nutrition 774 (N-774)” initiative designed to combat malnutrition crisis and improve the nation’s nutrition indices across 774 LGAs of the country.
NAN also reports that the N-774
initiative was inaugurated by the Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who presided over the 148th NEC meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on February 20.
The initiative was the first ever national government-led intervention to combat malnutrition, designed to improve coordination, financing and accountability.
At a two-day orientation meeting on Wednesday in Kaduna for zone one participants, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, Lead Facilitator for the zonal high-level engagement explained that the programme aimed to sensitise and create awareness among local government officials.
Muhammad-Idris also doubles as the Project Manager of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria project (ANRiN).
She explained that the initiative sought to bring all the nutrition programmes under one framework, including the ANRiN 2.0, Project HOPE and any other intervention on nutrition.
“This is to ensure effective coordination and resource allocation.
“Nutrition 774 has several pillars, including improving coordination, ensuring sufficient financial resources, and scaling up nutrition implementation,” Muhammad-Idris said.
She, therefore, said the local governments were expected to own the process and lead the fight against malnutrition.
According to her, local solutions are best found at the local government level, which needed to be at the forefront of improving nutritional well-being and preventing malnutrition.
Speaking further, the lead facilitator stated that statistics had shown that Kaduna state had made modest progress.
“We now have a 7.1 per cent reduction from the 48.1 per cent that we used to have to about 40 per cent where we currently are,’she said.
In spite the progress, Muhammad-Idris emphasised that much still needed to be done to address the challenges of malnutrition.
She, however, said the state was still struggling with moderate wasting and underweight issues, with some indices even showing deterioration.
She, therefore, said that the N-774 would be a game changer that would help address the challenges.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, Dr Gerida Birukila, said
UNICEF works in harmony with government to ensure child’s rights, including right to health, nutrition, education, water, hygiene, and health.
Birukila, represented by Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, restated the organisation’s commitment to working with Kaduna State Government at various levels to improve health and nutritional status of women and children.
Speaking on behalf of the LGA Chairmen of Zone one, Mr Salasi Musa, Chaiman, Chikun LGA, said the meeting was a very important one for them as public servants and the representatives of the people.
He emphasised that issues pertaining health especially nutrition were very important
and were not supposed to be taken lightly or for granted.
“When people have good nutrition, it will reduce a lot of diseases that we are battling with today in our societies,
especially amongst children.
“If they are able to get the right nutrition at the right age, we are sure of a very healthy nation and healthy people that will bring a lot of development and progress to our nation,” Musa said.(NAN)
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