The Kaduna State Government treated a total of 4,787
malnourished children out of the 12,876 admitted at the Community Management of Malnutrition
(CMAM) sites across the state in the first quarter of 2022.
The State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Haruna, made this known on Friday in Zaria at a two-day Quarterly Coordination and Review Meeting.
The meeting was organised by the State Committee on Food and Nutrition with the Nutrition Focal Persons (NFPs) in the 23
local government areas, supported by UNICEF.
Haruna said that of the 12,876 children admitted, 4,293 were newly admitted between January and March,
while the remaining 8,583 were spilled over of children admitted in 2021.
She stated that 7,568 children were still in admission, with 398 defaulted on treatment, 31 non recovery, while two children were lost to the diseases.
The State Nutrition Officer stressed that the data showed a significant reduction in the cured rate from 58.9 per cent in the last quarter of 2021 to 37.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.
Haruna attributed the development to the stock out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the state.
She noted that the decrease in the number of deaths recorded, was due to intensified Community Infant and Young Child Feeding (C-IYCF) practices in the state.
The Nutrition Officer said that a total of 43,662 residents were reached with nutrition messages within the first quarter of the year.
Of the figure, Haruna said that pregnant mothers constituted 12,865, representing 29 per cent and mothers of children less than six months were, 8,015 repressing 18 per cent.
She stressed that the total number of mothers of children of six to 23 months reached were 7,805, women of children bearing age 7,129, while mothers 4,826 and men 3,033 representing seven per cent.
“This shows that only 7 per cent of people reached with nutrition messages were men despite the importance of the men in decision making in the household and the communities.
“The 43,662 people reached with nutrition messages were equally less than the 89,143 people reached in the last quarter of 2021,” she said.
On low birth weight, the Nutrition Officer noted that six local government areas experienced low birth weight, namely Birnin Gwari, Lere, Kaduna South, Kudan, Kubau and Giwa, while nine councils recorded moderate birth weight.
Haruna stressed that 12 local government areas recorded impressive performance on exclusive breastfeeding practices in line with the 43 per cent national target, ranging between 43 per cent and 90 per cent.
“The remaining 11 councils fall below the national target, with a percentage ranging between 23 per cent and 41 per cent.
“However, all the councils have recorded huge improvement in early initiation of breast milk within an hour of birth ranging between 70 and 100 per cent,” she added.
Earlier, Mrs Priscilla Dariya, Deputy Director, Planning and Budget Commission, said that the objective of the meeting was to review the implementation of nutrition activities in the first quarter of 2022.
Dariya stressed that the meeting was also organized to receive reports on activities from local government areas nutrition focal persons, in line with plans and targets, as well as evaluate impact, challenges and lessons learnt.
“We also want to identify emerging opportunities that will help accelerate results and discuss planned activities for the second quarter of the year,” she said.
Malam Sani Hassan of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), stated that malnutrition was preventable, stressing that, no child should die of malnutrition.
Hassan urged the councils’ nutrition focal persons to redouble their efforts in implementing planned activities, to reduce the scourge of malnutrition, among children under five years in the communities. (NAN)
