Nasarawa government partners with NGOs to tackle malnutrition

The Nasarawa State Government has partnered with two non-governmental organisations, Network for Health Equity and Development and AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria, to tackle malnutrition among children and pregnant women in the state.

READ ALSO: Child malnutrition rises by 160% in northeastern Nigeria, says FHI360

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, disclosed this at a review meeting with the NGOs on Wednesday in Lafia.

The commissioner said the meeting aimed to review the activities of their partnership since inception with a view of extending it to capture more people.

Gwamna said that, “With the number of beneficiaries so far reached, it was possible to achieve a zero prevalence rate of malnutrition in the state in the future.”

He called on residents to always take advantage of locally sourced nutritional foods in their environments to prevent stunted growth.

The commissioner restated that quality healthcare delivery was a priority of the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration.

He, therefore, promised to work with any organization interested in improving the healthcare services of the people in the state.

On his part, Dr. Iliyasu Tunga, Nasarawa State Coordinator, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, said that 1,869,385 children, adolescent pregnant women, and nursing mothers across the state were benefiting from their services.

He added that they were working in all the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

The coordinator said that NHED and APIN were the two non-state actors engaged as implementing partners to ensure the success of the ANRIN intervention in the various communities of the state.

“The non-state actors visit beneficiaries at home and provide services in the selected primary healthcare centres across the state to support optimal growth and enhanced nutrition.

“They also counsel adolescent girls, pregnant women, and nursing mothers on locally sourced nutritional foods in their environments to prevent the infant and child growth defect (stunting),” he added.

He added that currently, they were providing seven services across the 13 LGAs of the state to tackle the scourge of malnutrition.

“Four of the services being provided were for children, while three were for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

“The intervention for children includes; micronutrient powder, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming tablets, and Zinc and Oral Rehydration Solution.

“While that for pregnant women and nursing mothers, include Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition Counselling, Iron Folic Acid/multiple micronutrients supplements, and Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (Fansidar),” he said.

Also speaking, the Country Director of NHED, Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, and Mrs Remi Olaitan of APIN lauded the state government for the partnership so far and the residents for accepting their services.

They said that they had been offering food supplements to children and pregnant women, especially young pregnant women, and teaching them what to eat to live a healthy life.

They also said that they teach beneficiaries how to cook the locally sourced nutritional foods within their environments, adding that the services were all free.

The duo, therefore, commended the state government for the intention to extend the partnership for another six months and expressed optimism that more fruitful results would be achieved.