State Project Coordinator of Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria Kano State, Dr. Umar Yahuza has pledged to support the move to mitigate problem of malnutrition among children and nursing mothers in the State.
Dr. Umar Yahuza stated this shortly after signing memoranda of understanding with the ‘Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria’ (PPFN) and ‘Institute of Human Virology Nigeria’ (IHVN), who are non State actors, at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.
The Project Coordinator in Kano said their focus is to tackle malnutrition being a pandemic in the country.
He added that the project that got funding of 250 million US Dollars from World Bank, will work in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Nassarawa, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Kwara and Kogi States.
“Specifically Kano issue is to look at our number of mortality rate for pregnant women, mortality for children under 5, mortality for children under one years of age.
And the most cost effective intervention that one can do, is nutrition intervention. That’s why we’re going to target not only children, but even the mothers themselves since from conception to the time they deliver will be under our care. This is the rationale behind the project”, Dr. Umar Yahuza said.
“This is important because Kano has worst nutrition result as 3 out of 5 children are suffering from malnutrition in Kano”, The Expert added.
ARiN will be a different project because non State actors will implement it house to house so as to give free substance, food items, and other medication that are capable of tackling the menace in Kano State”, State Coordinator said.
Speaking also, the Kano State Commissioner of Health Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, promised to provide an enabling environment for the actors, and financial commitment to make it done.
The Commissioner of Health represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Hajiya Amina A. Musa said they were gingered looking at the economic dilapidations that the malnutrition causes in the society and particularly in the areas of learning, as the young children cannot meet their full brain potentials.
“It’s worrisome looking at consequences of malnutrition in the society, because new generations where exposed to stunt in their growth capacity.
“Our target is our children and mothers, so as to have a society free of malnutrition in the future”, Hajiya Amina said.
The other key partners during the signing of MoU urged Kano State Government, residents to support the project as the need for collective push is a most.
