‎NGO urges BASG to establish more CMAM centres

BAUCHI State Government have been urged to establish more Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres across the state in order to curb malnutrition.

The call was made by Malam Sodangi Chindo the State Chairman of an NGO, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CSSUNN) in interaction with Newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday.

Sodangi Chindo lamented over the poor attention given to Malnutrition issues in the state, revealing that only 16 CMAM centres have been established in the state through the efforts of UNICEF.

“Presently the state only 16 CMAM centres across the state with 323 wards in 20 local governments areas.

“Government is not doing enough about malnutrition In the whole of this state only 16 Centers to take care of malnutrition and stunting children which are even established by UNICEF, that is not right for the state. The government should do more by investing in Nutrition to save the children and their mothers,” he said.

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The CSSUNN Chairman also said that there is a need for the establishment of more centres to make the provision of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) saying, “These foods are usually given to mothers or caregivers at the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres.”

Sodangi Chindo also call on the state government to provide budget line fund for nutrition in the state to tackle malnutrition effectively because according to him, “One of the key problems of nutrition in the state is because nutrition don’t have budget line fund, The funding comes from scattered line ministries and agencies such as Ministry of Women Affairs, Primary Health care delivery, Ministry of health, is difficult to follow it up for implementation.

“Therefore, if the nutrition has it budget line funding the rate of malnutrition will reduce drastically,” he said and stressed that CSSUNN has been advocating the policymakers on the need to create a budget for nutrition that will mitigate against malnutrition and stunting.”

“We also engage in sensitising and awareness creation to stakeholders, parents, government and the general public on a budget fund for nutrition programme and establishment of CMAM centres in the state. The organisation also educate on RUTF treatment as it focuses on mothers and caregivers about complementary feeding practices and breastfeeding until the child reaches the age of two,” he explained.

He, however, revealed that one of the challenges are mothers who don’t give the RUTF to their malnourished children saying, “we advise, sensitise and educate them on the dangers and the need of the usage.”