By Rauf Oyewole
The Bauchi State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have procured Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQLNS) to prevent and cure malnutrition among over 92,000 children in the state.
The Governor, Bala Mohammed took the delivery of the consignment on Saturday which was jointly procured by the state and the donor partners, including UNICEF, Government of UK, the Bill Foundation, and the Child Investment Fund Foundation.
The 20 local government areas and the state government had last year contributed N300million while the Child Nutrition Fund matched with additional N300million while the N600million supplements have been delivered to the state.
Speaking, the Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, explained that the state has placed priority on reduction of malnutrition and exclusive breastfeeding with six months paid leave for lactating mothers to tame the increasing severe acute malnutrition.
UNICEF's Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique said that there are 4,562 cartons of RUTF and 15,419 cartons of SQLNS. According to her, the state is one of the states with the highest prevalence of malnutrition. “More than 61% of children from six months to 23 months of age are undernutrition, malnourished. And approximately 92,000 children are wasting.
“61% are stunted. So the situation is very dire. We need to promote not only therapeutic food and SQLNS use, but also we need to prevent malnutrition. The provision of proper food and practices, nutrition practices, practices at the family level. That is something which is very important,” she said.
The health commissioner, Sani Dambam called for emergency preventive and curative interventions to reduce the prevalence of aneamia in women of child bearing age, decrease malnutrition and under five mortality in the state. He said that Bauchi state government is committed to working with development partners especially UNICEF to improve nutritional status of women and children through provision of adequate funds and ensure availability of nutrition commodities, through Child Nutrition Fund, harmonise PHC annual operational plan and the state budget.
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