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Tag: Malnutrition

  • Malnutrition killing 800 children annually in Nigeria – CSO

    Malnutrition killing 800 children annually in Nigeria – CSO

    By Ogenyi Ogenyi,Uyo

    A civil society organization, CS-SUNN, has said that more than 800 children under the age of five die of malnutrition annually in Nigeria and has therefore called for increased budgetary allocation for nutrition by state governments to address the problem.

    The Chairman Steering Committee of the organization for nutrition, Mallam Sodangi Chindo Adam disclosed this yesterday in Uyo at a two-day retreat for legislators and executives from Niger, Kano, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Lagos states.

    The retreat has as its theme, “Improved Malnutrition Funding: The Role of Legislators and Executives”.

    “What is currently happening is very worrisome because the statistics from the World Health Organization and United Nations Children Educational Fund and even the World Bank is showing that one million of our children are dying annually before age five.

    “And what UNICEF did was to identify malnutrition as the underlying cause of the infant mortality and morbidity for over 80% of these children which means that over 800 of these children that die is as a result of malnutrition.

    “This calls for action. That is why you see the legislators and state executives here for them to look at the statistics from world leading institutions like the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank for them to take appropriate action in their various states.

    “I think we have the right mix of legislators including speakers, government agencies, permanent secretaries and other stakeholders. This is very apt and I think they will come out with solution to address this challenge.” Adams said.

    On interventions by the state governments, he said that, “most of the states are battling with the challenges of budgeting. Appropriations are not made for nutrition and even they are made the issue of releases becomes a problem.

    “That is why we have the legislators and principal officers of state assemblies. What we are trying to change is the budgeting so that improved amounts will be budgeted for nutrition.”

    Speaking earlier, the organization’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr Mbang Ada explained that the aim of the retreat was to ensure food security for Nigerian children.

    Ada urged legislators to make legislations that would support good and safe nutrition, adding that such foods should be free from contaminants.

  • 45m Children Suffer Acute Malnutrition in 2020 – UN Report

    45m Children Suffer Acute Malnutrition in 2020 – UN Report

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    A new UN Report, ‘ Protect the Promise” published by global partners released has shown that at least 45 million children living in lower- middle- income countries suffered acute malnutrition , and a staggering 149 million were stunted in 2020.

    The health challenges was as a result of the devastating effects of conflict, climate extremes and COVID-19 pandemic causing setbacks on children including. adolescents and women particularly in the low and middle income countries like Nigeria and others.

    Both malnutrition and Stunting are likely causes to children’s vulnerability to diseases, developmental delay and deaths.
    Also in the last 20 years the African Region had witnessed a backsliding in the Stunting with an increased number from 54.4 million to 61.4 million.

    According to the Report , Nigeria 1 in 10 U5 children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday, while an estimated 25 million children were un- or under-vaccinated in 2021 – 6 million more than in 2019 – increasing their risk of contracting deadly and debilitating diseases.
    The UN data further reveals that 18% of children 12-23 months old did not receive any vaccinations, which is a relative decrease of 55% from 5 years ago while 1 out of 2 (2.5 in 5) births are attended by skilled birth attendant.

    In particular, COVID-19 pandemic caused 80% of children in 104 countries and communities to experience learning- loss because of school closure, also millions of children to miss out on school for more than a year.

    More pathetic is that since the beginning of the global pandemic, 10.5 million children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 pandemic, the ” Protect to Health” Report showed.

    UN Secretary General , Antonio Gutrrres said, “At the core of our unkept promise is the failure to address the gaping inequities at the root of global crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to conflicts and the climate emergency. The report describes the impacts of these crises on women, children and adolescents, from maternal mortality to education losses to severe malnutrition.”

    The  Protect the Promise, report is published by global partners, including WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and Countdown to 2030, as a bi-annual summary of progress in response to the UN Secretary General’s Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.
    The most comprehensive synthesis of evidence on the current state of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, it updates the last Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy Progress Report published in 2020.

  • CS SUNN calls for more political involvement in nutrition policy implementation to tackle malnutrition

    CS SUNN calls for more political involvement in nutrition policy implementation to tackle malnutrition


    … As Nigeria records the second highest number of stunted children globally

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    Civil Societies Scaling Up Nutrition, CS SUNN, a non governmental organization , operating in Nigeria has called for more political involvement by policy makers to ensure implementation of nutrition policy to tackle the alarming cases of malnutrition in the country.
    CS SUNN made this call today in Abuja today at a Media Roundtable meeting with journalists and other stakeholders to address the malnutrition situation in the country.

    The meeting tagged ” Media Roundtable on Nigeria’s Nutrition Commitments: Moving from Pledges to Action” according to the Executive Secretary of CS SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo who was represented by Mrs. Haji Robinson is to set in motion to mobilize actions towards the fulfilment of commitments and acceleration of progress for nutrition in Nigeria.

    He noted that malnutrition is linked to poverty because family incomes that have dropped, adding that low political commitment is a serious barrier to the scale up of proven effective food and nutrition interventions in the country.

    Okoronkwo said that a paradigm shift from verbal commitment for nutrition by government to institutional and operational commitment will translate to meaningful and impactful mechanisms like enabling legislation, policies and plans for nutrition , adding that it would further improve cash- backing of budget lines for nutrition , full releases of nutrition budget , enforcement of laws and regulations like the six months paid maternity leave and more.

    He noted that malnutrition is one of the greatest health and develop challenges of our time that is affecting at least one in three people in the world, adding that Nigeria has the second highest number of stunted children in the world.
    The CS SUNN executive decried that although Nigeria for decades has continued to make commitments both at the country and global levels towards ending ending malnutrition through increased funding releases, scale up of community management of Acute Malnutrition Centres, paid 6 months maternity leave, are yet to be fulfilled.
    The Organization commended the government for the progress made so far on nutrition also made a clarion call for the approval of a National Multisectoral Action Plan for food and nutrition and establishment of Nutrition departments in all nutrition line Ministries.

    CS SUNN ,Senior MEALS Officer, Jayne Egemonye also emphasized the urgent need for the media to participate in the nutrition campaign by influence political party manifestos.

    The media should influence infusion of nutrition by pro- manifestos for politicians to know the difference between food and nutrition issues by creating awareness among policy makers, Egemonye advised.

    FCT Chapter Chairperson of Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Florence Uchendu said that emphasized that there is hunger because of lack of food.

    Uchendu added that to government needs go into mass production of Bio fortified foods which should be available and accessible to tackle malnutrition in the country.
    She lamented that harmful food practices is going on now in the country.
    According to her, Foods like banana, plantain are ripened with carbide while foods like fufu , gari including palm oil and many more are adulterated including climate change which is affecting human nutrition.

    According to Toyin Adewale of Alive and Thrive, A& T, a global nutrition Initiative, she urged the media to make politicians accountable for their declarations particularly during electoral campaigns citing the example of Nigeria’s implemention the 6 months breastfeeding policy.

    Make then aware of the malnutrition trend in Nigeria and that it is a long term investment for now and the future, Adewale explained.

    Head of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Rasaq Oyeleke stated that the ministry has rolled out interventions such as Bio fortification of food where micro nutrients are introduced into crops from the farmers.
    Speaking on some of the food challenges, Dr. Oyeleke said that Nigeria needs to do more in Aflatoxin control in food produce like beans and maize, groundnut in addition to doing more of bio fortification farming by reducing the level of chemicals in the foods people consume.

  • FG partners UN to step up School Feeding Programme to fight Malnutrition

    FG partners UN to step up School Feeding Programme to fight Malnutrition

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, FMHADMSD, said it is partnering the United Nations World Food Programme, UN WFP to take the National Home- Grown School Feeding Programme, NHGSFP, to the next level to fight malnutrition among school children as schools reopen nationwide.

    In a press release from the ministry, made available to Daybreak today, the ministry said took the decision after a joint assessment conducted in the first quarter of 2021 to identify ways of improving, scaling-up and sustaining the NHGSFP.

    The Minister Sadiya Farouq said, “The NHGSFP remains an important intervention of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.” Through it hunger, malnutrition, poverty, education can all be addressed, adding that it is fully the Federal Government has fully funded the programme because it is a potential development driver.

    We at the FMHADMSD are here to ensure that this programme is strengthened and sustained so that it can continue to support the needs of the children, families, women and communities it targets, the minister emphasized.

    The technical support from the World Food Programme is therefore timely, relevant and well appreciated.
    WFP Country Director, Ronald Sibanda said, “One of the best ways of fighting hunger and preventing malnutrition among children is to provide them with a healthy school meal.”
    Sibanda commended Nigerian Government for investing resources and funding into the design and implementation of its National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
    This is a great initiative and WFP is very pleased to provide technical support for the Government of Nigeria, he assured.

    Home Grown School Feeding initiatives promote nutrition education and better eating habits and also encourages the diversification of production with a special emphasis on local crops.

    Through it’s technical support WFP is backing the next stage of the food programme with a significant transfer of ICT equipment which includes tablets with access to the PLUS Schools Menus – a free tool to help state Nutrition Officers design nutritious menus for schools.

    The hardware is to support the Ministry’s efforts to digitalize its monitoring and evaluation system, and also aid the national roll out of the PLUS School Menu Tool developed by WFP to standardize cost-effective menu development.

    Daybreak reports that over 9 million students in 53,000 public primary schools, enjoyed the school meals in 2021, making it one of the largest school feeding programmes in Africa.

  • Nutrition week: Experts urge Nigerians to practice home gardening to tackle malnutrition

    Nutrition week: Experts urge Nigerians to practice home gardening to tackle malnutrition

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    As Nigeria marks the 2021 National Nutrition Week, experts are urging Nigerians to start home gardening food production to tackle malnutrition in the country.
    President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Professor Wasiu Afolabi called on all Nigerians to embrace the culture of home gardening to tackle the issue of food insecurity and malnutrition among the populace.

    Speaking with journalists today in Abuja at the National Nutrition Week Public Lecture 2021 organized by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Afolabi said, ‘ Government has being making quiet a number of efforts over the years to reduce the scourge of malnutrition using the food system approach to challenge malnutrition in the country. ”
    He noted that the Nutrition Society of Nigeria is making contribution using innovative approaches to promote home gardening at various challenges of food production.

    He said,” Using the food system approach, government is saying that we all should grow the food we consume as a measure of addressing hunger and malnutrition. ”
    ” The onus now lies on all of us including our schools, government workers and individuals to use the available spaces in our homes to grow home foods particularly the ones that will address the issue of micronutrients deficiency in Nigeria.”
    Everyone should go home, get some sack, baskets and put in soil there and grow some vegetables that you can consume in your own house, advised.
    He said for food safety, people should only eat any diet that will reduce the cost of Medicare in their bodies and the burden of healthcare provision in Nigeria, adding that when people are healthy they will be productive and engage in activities that will increase the economy of their families.
    Afolabi emphasized that Nigeria has the highest level burden of malnutrition that affects women children and the highest burden of malnutrition that affects U5 children globally.

    Another expert, Adebowale Onafowora of BIC Farms advised that Nigerians should engage in backyard farming of vegetables in their different homes.
    Onafowora said that in the past there were so many nutritional vegetables imported into the country but overtime people could now do the planting from the backyard of their different homes.
    He said, ” from the backyard of homes people are now growing nutritious vegetables that they are selling and making good money from, adding that government is now encouraging the use the little land to grow what people eat.
    ‘You don’t need a big land to grow what you can eat, use your balcony, veranda and the little space that you have and how to multiply what you are growing using technology which can bring in economic transformation for Nigerians.’
    He said that solutions to growing nutritious vegetables includes using natural micro organisms developed locally to put on crops organically.
    Others include understanding how to use safe bio chemicals, period of usage and when to withdraw them from the crops so they won’t have effect.
    Onafowora called on government to support and create awareness especially in schools to catch them young on the food production system and also in distribution of improved seedlings to people to encourage and support them in home gardening food systems.

  • FG to eradicate malnutrition, CS-SUNN launches National Action plan for food, nutrition

    FG to eradicate malnutrition, CS-SUNN launches National Action plan for food, nutrition

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    As Nigeria marks the 2021 Nutrition Week, the Federal Government in collaboration with Civil Society- Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS SUNN has launched the National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021 to 2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050 to address food insecurity and tackle malnutrition in the country.

    Acting Executive Secretary of CS SUNN , Mr. Sunday Okoronkwo noted that food insecurity affects access to affordable nutritious and adequate food supply in the country and called for the support of all stakeholders for the implementation of the action plan.

    “All stakeholders have a role to play for Nigerians to have access to nutritious and healthy diets, and this is only possible if we all work together. This brings me to the prime of today’s event; the official launch of the NMSPFAN, a costed road map for reduction of stunting by 20%, for increasing EBF by 50% among others if fully implemented.”.

    The Minister of State for Finance, Budget, and National Planning, who officially launched the document in Abuja at the inauguration and joint ministerial press briefing of the 2021 Nigeria Nutrition Week said the plan was approved by the Federal Executive Council this year in September.

    The National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021 to 2025 is a five-year nutrition action plan to guide the implementation of interventions and programmes against hunger and malnutrition across all sectors in Nigeria.

    It wis expected to aid in reducing malnutrition by 50 percent in people and increase exclusive breastfeeding rate to 65 percent.

    It also aims to reduce stunting rate among under-five-year-olds to 18 percent by 2025 by scaling up impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.

    The Minister of State for Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Mr. Clement Agba, disclosed that Nigeria has an estimated 2.5 million children under the age of five suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

    “ As part of other efforts to address malnutrition and related challenges in the country, the present administration in collaboration with state is considering an Operation Feed Yourself Initiative to encourage the establishment of urban farm, school and home garden.”

    The plans is one of the major plans arising from the United Nations-backed Food System Dialogue to advance the fight against malnutrition and others are supporting farmers across the country, Agba explained.

    Country Director, Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition, GAIN, Dr. Michael Ojo stressed the need for partnership between government and the private sector for the actualisation of the document.
    Ojo further noted that 2021 has been a momentous year for food and nutrition as food crisis has put most Nigerians in poverty.

    Daybreak reports that the theme of the 2021 Nigeria nutrition week is: “Food systems transformation for healthy diets and nutrition, our collective responsibility.”

  • School Feeding Programme address child malnutrition, boost local economy – Sadiya Farouq

    School Feeding Programme address child malnutrition, boost local economy – Sadiya Farouq

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has said that the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme will address the problem of malnutrition among children in Nigeria.

    In a press release signed by Halima Oyelade , SA Strategy Communications of the ministry made available to Daybreak Farouq disclosed this on Thursday June 17th in Ilorin during a courtesy visit to Gov. AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman.

    The Minister, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the President on the National Social Investment Programme (SAPNSIP), Dr Nasiru Mahmud, said that they were in the State to assess the preparedness of the State for the implementation of National Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

    She noted that one of objectives of the programme was to address the problem of malnutrition among school pupils in Nigeria.
    The minister explained that research has shown that malnutrition among Nigerian children was high, adding that through the school feeding programme, the problem is being addressed.

    She added that another objective of the programme is to boost local economy because the food is bought from local farmers and vendors, saying that it creates a long value chain.

    According to the minister the national ongoing school feeding programme is one of the four interventions implemented under the National Social Investment Programme, adding that Kwara is one of the two states in Nigeria that are not enrolled into the programme.

    “The Ministry is concerned and came down to Kwara to assess the level of preparedness of the State to commence the programmme and the necessary support the State requires for the programme to take-off.”

    “We are happy with what we have seen, the state government is ready for the programme.”

    “Over 1, 500 public primary schools have been identified and over 96, 000 pupils of primary one to three spread across the 16 local government areas of the State will benefit.”

    The role of federal government is to provide money for the feeding and make sure the States comply with set guidelines for implementing the programmme.”the Minister said.

    In her Response, Hajia Bashirat Abdulrazaq, the State Focal person, National Social Investment Programme in Kwara, assured the Minister’s team of the state government’s readiness for the programme.

    She said over 1,947 cooks were on ground to benefit from the programme, adding that there would be revalidation as the programme goes on, adding that the programme will boost the enrollment of pupils and reduce malnutrition among children in the State.

    She disclosed that some cooks employed were the parents of the school pupils, so as the parents benefit, the children benefit and the poor farmers who are the fathers also benefit.

    “So we target the poor vulnerable people to eradicate poverty in Nigeria,” she said.

    Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq commended the federal government for the programme.

    AbdulRazaq, who was represented by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, commended the Federal Government for initiating the programme to reduce the number of out of school children while also helping local farmers and create employment opportunities.
    The governor assured the team of the State government’s support and cooperation.

  • Scientists, researchers partner against malnutrition

    Scientists, researchers partner against malnutrition

     Amid worrying prevalence of childhood malnutrition in Nigeria, scientists and researchers in nutrition and dietetics have agreed on partnership to end malnutrition in the country.

    Our correspondent reports that the two parties arrived at this resolution on Friday in Ibadan during the inauguration of Academic and Research Network for Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (ARN-SUNN) in Oyo State.

    A Professor of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at University of Ibadan, Rasaki Sanusi, noted that childhood malnutrition had been a public health emergency in the country for the past 30 years.

    “Malnutrition in under-five is a public health problem and it has been so for the past three decades.

    “This is in spite of the fact that almost all the organisations in Nigeria are doing something, but we are not seeing the impact.

    “We think that it is because many of us are not working together. There are many organisations trying to address the problem of malnutrition, but each is doing it on its own.

    “We think that if we come together and address it together, we should have remarkable results,” he said.

    According to him, malnutrition remains unacceptably high in spite of interventions from various stakeholders for several years.

    The don said that poor nutrition could result in impaired physical and mental development of a child.

    “There are more of our children who are malnourished in excess of what is expected.

    “For example, between 35 and 45 per cent of under-five are stunted, meaning that they are shorter than what’s expected for their age, and that also translates into their being deprived of mental capacity and ability to perform and learn in schools.

    “Also, many children are dying and are often hospitalised because of acute malnutrition,” he said.

    In her remarks, Prof. Beatrice Ogunba of Public Health Nutrition, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said that partnership of experts in human nutrition presented an unprecedented opportunity to end childhood malnutrition in the country.

    “In the fight to reduce malnutrition, the academia is part of stakeholders. It is time for us to work together and do implementation researches that will have meaningful impacts.

    “For about 10 to 15 years, we have been moving at a very slow pace, but right now, through this partnership, we can focus on areas where we have not been making progress, instead of duplicating efforts,” she said.

    Also speaking, Dr Oluwaseun Ariyo of Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, affirmed that stakeholders would be better equipped to end malnutrition through collaborative partnership.

    “This partnership will help us to align our researches to solve the nutrition problems in our communities.

    “Little collaboration across research institutions has prevented us from making great impact over the years,” he said. 

  • Kogi Signs MOU To Fight Malnutrition with #12.6 billion

    Kogi Signs MOU To Fight Malnutrition with #12.6 billion

    By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Kogi State Commissioner of Health, Dr Saka Audu Haruna on Tuesday restated the determination of the state government to eliminate malnutrition from the society.

    The Commissioner stated this during the signing of a #12.6bn memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the African Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) in Lokoja with a view of eliminate the effects of Malnutrition in the State.

    Dr Saka Haruna said the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has sourced about 12.6 billion Naira to fight malnutrition in the State, adding that Nigeria is among the country with the highest cases of malnutrition in the world.

    The commissioner who congratulated the AYGF for winning the project to provide nutritional services for mothers and children in the State stressed the need for a joint fight against Malnutrition not just in the state but Nigeria as a whole.

    He promised to monitor every steps of the implementation to achieve the needed results and charged the AYGF to do more in achieving the desired results.

    Responding, the Executive Director of Africa Youth Growth Foundation, Dr. Arome Salifu commended the State Government for the gesture, saying AYGF is an organization that is more involved in community development or services.

    He promised to give their best under the ANRiN project by touching every nook and cranny of the State to reduced the challenges faced by malnutrition.

    Dr Arome Salifu promised to deploy all strategies including reaching out to hard to reach areas by using innovative Transportation, Local Languages, Traditional rulers and religious bodies to reach the targets population.

    In his remarks Kogi State ANRiN Project Coordinator, Mr Bola Ogundusi appreciated the effort of the State Government for providing the necessary purposeful leadership to fund and address the issues of malnutrition by improving the health challenges of mothers and children in the State.

    Mr Ogundusi explained that the State Government spent 50m Naira every year to address nutritional issues and also appreciated the World Bank for partnering with Kogi State in curbing malnutrition and making the resources available to execute some nutritional project.

  • FG moves to improve nutrition security, reduce Hunger, malnutrition

    FG moves to improve nutrition security, reduce Hunger, malnutrition

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The Federal Government has commenced a dialogue across the six geo- political zones of the country to improve nutrition security, reduce hunger and malnutrition in the country.

    According to a release from the ministry of Budget and National Planning and made available to Daybreak yesterday, the ministry recently flagged- off the National Food Summit Systems Dialogue tagged ” Exploratory Dialogue” at the six geo- political zones of the county.

    According to the statement the Dialogue involves the exploration of challenges facing food system within the geopolitical zones and raising quality, purposeful and productive home-grown solutions to them.

    Permanent secretary of the ministry Olusola Idowu said that the outputs from the various dialogue, particularly the Exploratory Dialogue would help the government to develop a plan of action to improve nutrition strategy, reduce hunger and prevalence of malnutrition in line with the national food as well as nutrition policy in Nigeria.

    Idowu said, ” it is envisioned to create more inclusive , healthier food systems and encourage a collaborative approach towards building sustainable food systems.

    She pointed out that the outcomes from all the Dialogues would be presented at the forthcoming Summit scheduled to hold in New York in September 2021 as part of the Decade of Actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

    Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu who was re-presented by the state Commissioner of Economic Planning aid that for a successful food , Samuel Egbe appealed to financial institutions to make loans and grants readily available to farmers and other stakeholders within the system in order to expand and implement those ideas which could make food system more sustainable in the country.