By Asma’u Ahmad
Three Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called for massive awareness campaign on good nutrition practice as part of the efforts to address the rising cases of malnutrition in the country.
In separate interviews with newsmen in Kaduna, the organisations attributed the increasing cases of malnutrition, particularly in the northern part of the country to ignorance.
They said that the campaign was necessary to enlighten the public on the good nutrition practice, using available resources, noting that many people were still not aware of what makes a good nutritious meal.
In his comments, the Coordinator, Community Trust Health Foundation, Kaduna, Mr. James Maigamu, said that there was the need for huge investment in awareness campaign, particularly in the rural areas.
Mr. Maigamu said that a larger percentage of the public were still unaware of the kind of foods that their body needed for healthy development.
“People only know that they need to eat, but don’t know what makes a good nutritious meal. There is the need for huge investment in awareness campaign to enlighten the public on what makes nutritious meal, he said.
On his part, the Programme Officer, Aid Foundation in Kaduna, Mr. Bobai Bonet, commended the Kaduna State Government for the various interventions to address malnutrition crises in the state.
Mr. Bonet said that not much was being done in curbing the scorch, because too much attention was being giving to treatment and little on preventive measures.
He said that there was the need for the state government to engage the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), CSOs and other relevant stakeholders to create the needed awareness.
Also, Miss Jessica Bartholomew, a Nutrition Officer with Positive Hope Support and Care Initiative, said that the nutritious contents of many locally produced agricultural produces remain untapped, particularly in the rural areas.
Miss Bartholomew said that many rural farmers grow soya beans, groundnuts, vegetables and rear chickens, but ended up selling the produces to buy clothes for their children without considering their proper feeding.
