By Asma’u Ahmad
The Federal Government has launched the 2016 Global Nutrition report to reduce the malnutrition cases in the North East and North West.
President Muhammadu Buhari presented the report during the high level policy dialogue on the country’s nutrition crisis in Abuja.
Represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, the president said the report was aimed at making it easier for government and other stakeholders to make high impact commitment to reduce malnutrition in all its forms.
The president said the federal government recently approved and launched a multi-sectorial policy on food and nutrition as well as health sector plan which set cost, nutrition specific interventions and measurable targets.
This, he said, was part of the effort to reduce malnutrition from the children under five years old.
“Every day, about 2,300 children under the age of five die of malnutrition, we cannot allow it; the malnutrition indices are worst in North West and East but the situation is more in the North East.
“About 20 per cent of the burden of malnutrition is in these two regions. Children who are well nourished in the first two years of life are more likely to do better at school and be more productive throughout their lifetime as adults,” he said
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, called for the urgent need to address issues relating to malnutrition.
Senator Tejuoso said UNICEF had pledged to treat 600,000 of 2.5 million malnourished children in the country by 2017.
He said the remaining 1.9 million children needed to be budgeted for by the federal government, adding that about N50, 000 was needed for the treatment of each child.
The senator admitted that the country had made some progress and emphasized the need to step up the momentum.
“Though the country has certainly made some progress, thanks to the development partners and donors, much work remains to be done. And this is where the federal and state government as well as legislative houses have a crucial pivotal role to play,” he said.
