Aisha Buhari charges nutritionists to prioritise on how to end malnutrition

By allcitynews.ng‎

Dr Mrs Aisha Buhari has charged nutritionists to prioritise on how to fast track ending of malnutrition in Nigeria.

The First Lady of Nigeria‎ made the called while addressing stakeholders in Dutse, Jigawa State.

Mrs Buhari in the statement sent to allcitynews.ng by ‎the Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)‎, Office of the First Lady of Nigeria‎, Aliyu Abdullahi,‎ reminded the nutritionissts to renew their commitment to end malnutrition in Nigeria.

She ‎called on the stakeholders to demonstrate strong leadership, strengthen coordination and ownership and sustain the prioritization of nutrition with a view to ultimately improving the nutrition situation in the country.

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With the COVID-19 global crisis, she said existing structures for championing nutrition have been sidelined; “it has therefore become more critical for nutrition actors to take and support key actions to protect the nutritionally vulnerable groups”.

‎She said ABF was happy to provide a platform, “where we can together arrive at workable solutions to the nutritional situation we are experiencing”.

Mrs. Buhari, who was represented by Dr. Fatima Jibrilla, commended Jigawa State Government for its demonstration of political will and commitment towards ending malnutrition.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Yelwa Da’u, in her remarks said Jigawa is a rural state, therefore aside from RUTF, it was necessary for the state to promote cheap and available alternatives. For this, she said, the state is sensitizing pregnant and lactating mothers for their buy-in.

She said the state takes publicity very seriously and commended ABF for organizing the meeting as it will give added sensitization to the issue of malnutrition.

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In the same vein, Bashir Ahmed, a ‎Director, Health Services, Ministry of Health in Jigawa Stste that stood in for the Permanent Secretary said Jigawa State has created a budget line to supply RUTF.‎

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Ahmed who said the budget is being released on time and RUTF is being procured and distributed across the state, disclosed that there is a special nutrition project called “Masaki”, which pushes for the production and use of locally available nutritious food products, noting that the project has been implemented in all local governments and is yielding positive results.

Recent findings showed that Nigeria has the second-highest burden of stunted children globally with a stunting rate of 32 per cent.

About two million children below the age of five years are at risk of an extreme form of malnutrition (Severe Acute Malnutrition). Only one in every 10 of these children has access to the lifesaving treatment they require. The Nutrition Stakeholders Meetings were organized by Aisha Buhari Foundation, alongside three other partners ‎to advocate for increased attention and domestic investments for nutrition,

Similar stakeholder meetings have been held at Kano, Bauchi, Katsina and Gombe, which all have worrying nutritional statistics.

At the meeting were permanent secretaries, legislators, traditional rulers, development institutions and civil society organizations.

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