Nigeria under-funds fight against malnutrition, needs $912m - Experts

NaijaAgroNet:

Nigeria is currently under-funding its fight against malnutrition as the nation needs $912 million to tackle the scourge, especially of child malnutrition which is presently pillaging the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Revealing this to NaijaAgroNet at a two-day Media Dialogue on “Leveraging Resources for Child Malnutrition in Nigeria” held weekend in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, described the situation as a major challenge in the country fight against child malnutrition.

Isokpunwu, who delivered paper on “Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria: What Will It Cost?” lamented that there are currently about 2.5 million severely malnourished children in Nigeria.

The medical expert quoted Federal Ministry of Health figures as showing that not less than $912 million is required to tackle child malnutrition in the country over the next five years if the problem is not to get worse.

He pointed out that the national budget provided only N2.4 million for child nutrition in 2016, while nothing was provided in the 2015 budget and N30 million was provided in 2014 but was not released.

Also, he noted that the budget for child nutrition was created for the first time in Nigeria in 2014, describing child malnutrition as “a silent killer which has to be stopped” in view of its devastating consequences.

In her paper entitled “Child Nutrition Situation in South-East and South-South Zones of Nigeria”, Ngozi Onuora, Nutrition Specialist at the Port Harcourt office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), decried that every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five-year-olds and 145 women of childbearing age as a result of malnutrition.

According to her, this makes the country the second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortality rate in the world.

Onuora equally said, there are multiple dimensions of child malnutrition which could co-exist in individuals, households and populations, including stunting, wasting, micronutrients deficiencies, overweight and obesity. “These are all manifestation of under-nutrition,” she said.

NaijaAgroNet gathered from statistics provided at the Media Dialogue by nutrition experts that malnutrition, though a national problem is much worse in the North.

As said by the experts at the dialogue held on Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, 2017, in Enugu, the statistics showed that the total number of children affected by malnutrition in the South-East in 2016 was 34,889 while 6,700 deaths were recorded.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that  in the South-South, 86,304 children were affected, out of which 16,700 died, while the South-West had 84,417 cases and 16,300 deaths; North-West 1,594,462 cases and 308,000 deaths; North-Central 43,635 cases with 8,400 deaths; and North-East 695,998 cases and 134,000 deaths.

Malnutrition, experts say, not only contributes to close to 50 per cent of deaths in children under five, but also results in a massive cost for the nation.

The Media Dialogue attracted print, electronic and online journalists from Enugu, Lagos and Abuja. Moderated by Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF Communication Specialist, and Mrs. Ibiba H. Bello, Head, Child Rights Information Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information, Abuja, the event featured a broad spectrum of experts who explored various relevant themes. They included Dr. Bamidele Omotola, Nutrition Specialist at UNICEF Abuja; Dr. Ken Ozoemena, Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Enugu Office; and Onche Odeh, a Communication Consultant among others.

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World Breastfeeding Week 2016: Exclusive breastfeeding, key to fight child malnutrition – UNICEF, MeCAM

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Media Coalition Against child Malnutrition (MeCAM) have declared that exclusive breastfeeding is key to fight against child malnutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that they stressed that exclusively breastfeeding is more resilient in fighting malnutrition, especially in children.

Speaking ahead of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week, which commenced August 1 through August 7, the organisations agreed that it is encouraging to always engage members of the media on issues concerning child malnutrition and more specifically on exclusive breastfeeding in order to drum support for the campaign.

The Communication Specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, speaking on the week, charged MeCAM members to be alive to their responsibilities of stimulating support for yet another year and season of World Breastfeed Week.

UNICEF, he said, looks forward to members of MeCAM engaging through the media across its membership and country at large.

This, he said, could come in form of news reports, programmes, features, special reports, editorials, opinion pieces and commentaries.

In a related development, the National Coordinator, MeCAM Nigeria, Mr. Remmy Nweke, assured that the media advocacy group, especially at this era of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) would offer its best on the breastfeeding campaign 2016 so as to give it a boost.

Nweke quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that170 countries would be commemorating the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, WHO noted, is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need.

Also, WHO recommended exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old.

“Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond,” WHO officials pointed out.

Nweke further quoted WHO experts as saying that the World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in over 170 countries to inspire breastfeeding and improve the health of babies across the world.

Noteworthy, Nweke said, is that in September 2015, the world's leaders committed to 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity.

“Together, they​ form the​ ​Sustainable Development​ Goals. We all have a part to play in achieving these goals​ by 2030​,” he declared.

The World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share. 

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Buhari, 36 governors: ‘Devote 5% of security votes on child malnutrition’

NaijaAgroNet:

The President, Muhammadu Buhari and all the 36 State Governors have been enjoined to devote, at least, five per cent of their security votes to the fight against child malnutrition in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Participants at the a two-day Media Dialogue on Child Malnutrition organized by UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for media practitioners, nutritionists and other stakeholders in Nigeria, in Owerri, Imo State made this call.

For participants, there could be no greater threat to the country than the one posed by severe child malnutrition which puts the lives of over 2.5 million innocent children on the line annually.

They also noted that government at all levels should create a specific budget line for Nutrition and ensure prompt release of funds.

Participants equally urged the government to ensure the availability of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) in every state for urgent interventions in cases of emergency.

In addition, they advocated for government to create enabling environment for local production of RUTFs to minimize cost.

According to participants, with more attention given to the prevention of malnutrition to avoid its irreversible consequences such as stunted growth and poor brain development, it is important to important to see malnutrition as part of security for the larger society through provision of at least 5 per cent withdrawn from the supposed ‘security votes’ which comes in various colour across the country.

To this end, participants pointed out that consumption of bio-fortified foods should be encouraged especially among young mothers and children.

While producers of flour, salt, vegetable oil and sugar should be closely monitored by the various regulatory agencies to ensure they are fortified with vitamin A and iodine.

The participants, further called on corporate bodies and individuals should also endeavour to devote part of their earnings to support the global efforts towards eradication of child malnutrition.

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