By Khalid Idris Doya
The Bauchi state government, in collaboration with Nutrition International, has trained healthcare workers on effective forecasting and management of essential nutrition commodities to reduce wastage, prevent shortages and improve service delivery at primary healthcare facilities.
The two-day capacity-building training organised by Nutrition International in collaboration with the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board (BSPHCB) and the Bauchi State Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency focused on Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) and Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS).
It brought together health personnel from four Local Government Areas, including Maternal and Child Health officers, nutrition focal persons, essential drugs officers, store officers, procurement personnel and logisticians.
In his welcome remarks, the State nutrition officer, Abubakar Saleh said the training was designed to strengthen participants' practical knowledge of commodity quantification, forecasting and supply planning to ensure the availability of essential nutrition supplements and address supply chain challenges at health facilities.
He urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired to improve service delivery in their respective facilities. He said effective application of the skills would enhance commodity utilisation, minimise wastage and ensure the consistent availability of essential nutrition commodities.
Speaking on the objectives of the exercise, the State Coordinator of Nutrition International, Mrs. Asabe Emmanuel Lekwot, said the training was aimed at equipping healthcare workers with the technical skills required to accurately determine and forecast MMS and IFAS commodity needs using available data and service utilisation patterns.
She explained that accurate forecasting would enable health facilities to determine their commodity and funding requirements over specific periods, thereby supporting effective procurement, distribution and supply planning.
Lekwot stressed the importance of maintaining appropriate stock levels, noting that both overstocking and understocking could undermine the effective delivery of nutrition services.
She added that participants were also introduced to technical report writing and the use of forecasting results as evidence for advocacy, resource mobilisation and informed decision-making.
The lead facilitator and Warehouse Manager, Pharmacist Ubale Ahmed, described the training as timely, particularly as health-related Ministries, Departments and Agencies were preparing their 2027 Annual Operational Plans (AOPs).
He said the sessions were designed to expose participants to modern approaches to commodity quantification and forecasting, as well as the preparation of technical reports based on their findings.
According to him, the knowledge acquired would enable healthcare workers to calculate actual commodity requirements, monitor expiry dates, identify excess stocks and address other supply management challenges.
He added that participants would be better equipped to develop realistic commodity estimates and incorporate their requirements into the 2027 AOPs, while using technical reports to support advocacy and resource mobilisation.
The training featured sessions on the overview of quantification processes, consumption-based forecasting for MMS, service-based forecasting, as well as morbidity and demographic forecasting approaches.
The practical exercises exposed participants to the use of consumption records, demographic information and health service statistics in determining appropriate commodity requirements.
Speaking during an interview, participants expressed satisfaction with the training, describing it as an opportunity to address existing gaps in commodity forecasting and improve supply management at their respective health facilities.
Ahud Juji Madaki, Officer-in-Charge of Dabe Primary Healthcare Centre in Ganjuwa Local Government Area, said the training had broadened his understanding of MMS quantification and the consequences of inaccurate forecasting.
He explained that inadequate knowledge of commodity quantification could lead healthcare workers to order supplies beyond actual requirements, resulting in unnecessary stock accumulation and inefficient management.
Similarly, Haima Ahmad, Officer-in-Charge of Kafin Madaki Primary Healthcare Centre, identified the practical sessions as one of the most valuable aspects of the training.
Nafisatu Auwal, Officer-in-Charge of Giade Primary Healthcare Centre, also highlighted the relevance of the forecasting methods introduced, particularly the application of demographic data, service statistics and consumption patterns in determining commodity requirements.
In the same vein, Umar Alhaji Shehu, Officer-in-Charge of Faguji Primary Healthcare Centre in Giade, described the exercise as an eye-opener, noting that the skills acquired could be applied beyond nutrition commodities to improve forecasting and ordering across other essential healthcare services.
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