By Asmau Ahmad
Jigawa state Government said it has treated 30,141 severely malnourished children in 12 local government areas of the state between January and June this year.
The State Deputy Nutrition Officer, Malam Saidu Adamu, disclosed this at a Mid-Year meeting with UNICEF Bauchi office and the Jigawa state government in Dutse, the state capital.
Malam Adamu explained that the figure of those cured with malnutrition represented 75 per cent, defaulters rate was 15 per cent while death rate of 10 per cent was recorded within the period under review.
He said that 120 health workers had been trained on Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) in six months.
According to him, 43,677 mothers and caregivers were counselled on acceptable recommended infant and young child feeding by support group members.
The officer stated that 787,022 children within the age of 12 to 59 months had been dewormed between January and June.
He also said that 134,525 pregnant women had so far received Iron folate supplementation and 2,304 health workers were trained on how to administer vitamin A supplementation, deworming and Iron folate Immunisation.
He disclosed that N20.7 million had been set aside by State Government on a standing order to tackle malnutrition problems in the state.
However, he lamented that the dwindling monthly allocation from Federal Government had affected the programme in the state.
Earlier, the UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Abdulai Kaikai, said the meeting was a mid-year review to identify problems of their different intervention programmes with a view to address them.
Dr. Kaikai, who was represented by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Mr. Drissa Yeo, said the meeting would also plan for 2017 intervention programmes.
