3 out of 10 children suffer malnutrition in Kaduna ―Save the children

Children attend school in the town of Banki, which was recaptured by the military in 2015 from Boko Haram. For more than eight years, Boko Haram violence has devastated the lives of families and in particular children.

THE Save the Children International (SCI) has said three out of ten children under the age of five are malnourished in Kaduna state.

This was disclosed by the Nutrition Advocacy Adviser, Malam Isa Ibrahim during the inauguration of the group’s Nutrition Advocacy Project ( 2018 to 2020) in the state on Monday.

He said, ‘Kaduna State is vulnerable to disturbing nutrition indices, with three out of 10 under five children severely stunted, while 34 percent are underweight and 11.7 percent severely malnourished.”

“We will also mobilise civil society groups, the media and individuals at state and national levels to leverage on the needed change toward improving nutrition behaviour,” he added.

Ibrahim explained that the project would be funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and its aimed at mobilising government agencies and stakeholders for additional funding for nutrition projects.

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He said the project would ensure that nutrition policies, strategies and plans were adequately implemented, saying, ‘the major goal is to make progress toward bringing to an end preventable maternal and child deaths by 2020.

He explained that “Nigeria is home to about six million stunted children, while 50 percent of mortality of children under five years is due to poor nutrition.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Oluseyi Adejibo, said the NGO’s main focus was to ensure the survival of children, their learning and development.

She said the project would create real, lasting and positive change in the lives of children.
She added that “this is because when mothers are well nourished, they will have healthy newborns; and when children receive proper nutrition, they will develop strong body and mind.

“In the long run, adolescents would learn better, develop intellectually and contribute to the development of their communities and the nation.”

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Muhammad Abdullahi, commended the group for the efforts to improve child nutrition.

Abdullahi, who was represented by the commission’s Director, Development Aid Coordination, Mrs Pheube Yayi, stressed the need for awareness on behavioural change toward good nutrition.

S-Davies Wande