According to a national survey carried out, it was estimated that over 6 million children suffer from malnutrition in Nigeria, with only two in every ten cases receiving prompt intervention making it one of the most devastating causes of death in children with almost doubled that figure suffering from other effects of malnutrition.
It is based on this alarming figures and matter of concern that technocrats, policy makers and government converged recently in Abuja to discuss possible ways of drastically reducing these figures especially in rural Nigerian Communities.
Seated in the hall are Director Generals/Executive Secretaries of Nigeria's Primary Healthcare Development Agencies, state Commissioners for health and other stakeholders whose offices are saddled with the responsibilities of Managing malnutrition and making budgetary provisions for case management.
For the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, it's time to seek a new course in revenue mobilization to end malnutrition in the country, she sighted and advised for a high impact deliberate resource mobilization measures where government and private establishments will be mandated to support the Maternal, New Born and child health week (MNCHW) , just like it was done to support Covid19 Fight in the country.
Dr Ekpenyong noted that with growing figures on the number of malnurished children as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and it's effects to the economy of households, there is an urgent need for states to develop their own strategies which are perculiar to their local environment and most cost effective .
She described the Cross River State's fight against malnutrition as Collective and collaborative, noting that, teams from the state Ministry of health and the Primary Healthcare Agency have developed a strategy which includes Community mobilization, Community search, sensitization of pregnant women on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months , constitution of balanced diets as well as management of detected cases.
She encouraged that more children especially in rural Communities be granted access to Vitamin A supplementation as lack of it would eventually cause stunted growth in children which is irreversible and expose children to have poor immune system..
"We must make deliberate commitments to end malnutrition in our various stages and in the country as a whole, same approaches Government and international bodies were able to use in mobilizing resources to combat Covid-19 and other health problems in the country, same measure should be applied to prevent the next pandemic (nutritional) looming.
As a state, we are committed to intensify community search and management of malnourished children especially in rural Communities, including micronutrients supplementation, fortification and diversification.
We will continue to advocate for exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, build capacities of healthworkers, implement policies that will have direct positive impact on the lives of our children and mothers. Surely, together we will reduce malnutrition in Cross River State and Nigeria".
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