By Asma’u Ahmad
The Kaduna State Government in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have established 17 Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites in the state.
UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist in the state, Dr. Florence Oni, made the disclosure in a telephone conversation in Kaduna.
Dr. Oni said the step was to treat more than 750,000 severely malnourished children in the state in a bid to address the alarming rate of malnutrition among children under five years.
She said that six sites were established in Zaria, six in Makarfi and one in Ikara Local Government Areas respectivelt.
“Others are one each in Kaduna State University Teaching Hospital; General Hospital Kachia; General Hospital Kafanchan and General Hospital Birnin Gwari.”
She commended the government for the efforts made to address the problem of malnutrition.
She, however, said there was the need to do more, given the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the state.
Equally, Dr. Oni said that the prevailing increase in the prices of food items was hampering the ongoing fight against malnutrition in the country.
The Nutrition Officer of the state’s Ministry of Health and Human Resources, Jane Gwani, said that no fewer than 750, 000, representing 42 per cent of children less than five years in Kaduna State were suffering from severe malnutrition.
According to her, such children are ten times more likely to die if nothing is done.
She also said that more than 900, 000 children representing 57 percent of children under five in the state were equally stunted (short for their age), meaning six out of every 10 children were stunted due to malnutrition.
She explained that the figure was based on the 2013 National Demographic Health Survey, adding that it could be more currently.
She said that several intervention had been roll out to reverse the situation in collaboration with relevant stakeholders across communities, public and private sectors, Civil Society Organisations, government ministries, department and agencies.
Gwani said that the government had so far released N37 million and UNICEF supported the state with additional N45 million to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Newsmen also report that the state government had equally earmarked N130 million in the 2017 budget for the procurement of therapeutic food and drugs for management of acute malnutrition.
