By Asma’u Ahmad
Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), on Friday called for private sector investment in the production of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), used in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition.
The organisation’s Project Director, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka, made the call at the side line of a one-day strategic meeting of National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition (NSPAN) in Kaduna State.
Eluaka told newsmen that currently the RUTF is being imported, saying that as a key element in community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition, Nigeria ought to start producing the therapeutic foods locally.
The group’s coordinator noted that with the current difficulties in accessing foreign exchange and dwindling value of the naira, it makes great sense to produce the food locally, to save children from dying of severe malnutrition.
According to her, the private sector should go into local production of the product, as it has become too expensive at the moment.
She said that the product now sells for over 60 dollars per carton containing 150 sachets of RUTF.
RUTF is a groundnut-based high-energy, lipid-based spreads used in any cultural setting for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition among children.
The director explained that the country has depended largely on UNICEF for the supply of the product over the years.
“But for how long shall we continue to depend on importation of this product. The private sector should come in; companies like Dangote Group and other big indigenous companies have the capacity to produce this product locally with locally available raw materials,” she said.
She also canvassed for multi-sectorial approach to prevent malnutrition through massive enlightenment campaign on good nutrition practice, exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate infant and young child feeding.
Earlier, the state Coordinator of the group, Mr. Silas Ideva explained that the meeting was to develop strategies for full implementation of specific nutrition interventions in the state.
Mr. Ideva commended the state government for adopting the national nutrition plan and making budgetary provision for its implementation in 2017.
He however appealed for timely release of the fund to ensure proper implementation of the various interventions as outlined in the NSPAN, to end the scourge of malnutrition in the state.
