Following the first meeting of stakeholders in Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria, a second meeting was convened to discuss issues identified by the technical committee set up during the maiden meeting to strategize how the acute cases of malnutrition can be wiped out. The meeting which held in Abuja on Thursday, 6th June, 2024, called for more extra efforts by the respective stakeholders.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, who made the call in his remarks at the meeting, emphasized that considering the negative effects of the disease and it’s gravity among large number of the nation’s populace there is need for more in the crusades.
The Minister, thanked the stakeholders and the technical committee for their support and technical assistance respectively, announcing that state governments would be contacted to give their support in some of the identified areas to achieve maximum success.
The Chairperson of the technical committee and the Head, Nutrition Department in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ladi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi explained that sixty million US Dollars have been proposed to tackle malnutrition.
She stated that four million bottles of MMS will be procured for distribution to sixteen states starting with the most affected states of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa and Zamfara, saying that available data is used as formula for the distribution.
According to her, other simplified intervention include identifying current nutritional indices of states, dietary and food fortification, standardizing production of Tom brown, establishing Community Nutrition Centers among others.
Dr. Bako-Aiyegbusi (mni), further highlighted some questions from the stakeholders which includes:the training of health workers, the procurement of commodities, secure the onboarding of Nutrition Countries into the NHLMDS for effective monitoring of supply and distribution of commodities, secure the establishing and equipping of Community Nutrition Centers to promote multi sectoral community on preparation of nutrient dense mealamong others.
Presentations were made by representatives of the stakeholders on their contributions so far towards reducing malnourishment in the country, which includes among others: Dangote Foundation, Gate Foundation, UNICEF, USAID, NIA, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic planning, and Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is the Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition.
Patricia Deworitshe
