By Asma’u Ahmad
The Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has urged government at all levels in Nigeria to increase their budgetary allocations in 2017 for the implementation of National Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition (NSPAN) interventions.
CS-SUNN Chairman, Professor Ngozi Nnam, made the plea at a Town Hall meeting with a Theme: “Understanding the Need for Media Advocacy for Maternal, Newborn and Child Nutrition in Nigeria.” in Abuja.
“To address these poor nutrition indices, Nigeria has developed and launched a National Policy on Food and Nutrition in 2016. It provides an overarching framework, covering the multiple dimensions for food and nutrition improvement.
“A strategic plan of action is required to give effect to the policy. A coasted national strategic plan for nutrient spanning from 2014 to 2019 has been developed as the health plan component of the national food and nutrition policy.
“The total cost of implementing the strategic action plan for five years period is about N144 billion, an investment that will avert 890,000 stunting, among others,” she said.
Professor Nnam said that implementation of the action plan would in a long way avert 890,000 stunting in five years and save 123,000 lives annually.
She said that investments in nutrition interventions at all levels would combat malnutrition, assist children to reach their full potential and advance economic development.
According to her, malnutrition is a condition that occur when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amount or types of food and essential nutrients.
The chairman identified one of the major causes of malnutrition in the country as suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices due to ignorant on the right dietary requirement of children.
