By Sunday John 08036801769
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Mr Ahmed Baba-Yahaya, says the State Government, World Bank and other development partners are working hard to achieve zero prevalence in malnutrition in the state.
Baba-Yahaya said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia on Wednesday.
He said that the State Government was providing seven services to 1,869,385 children, pregnant women, adolescent pregnant women and nursing mothers in the 13 Local Government Areas to tackle the scourge.
According to him, this is done through a World Bank-funded project, called Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN)
The commissioner also said that two non state actors – Network Health Equity and Development (NHED) and APIN Public Health Initiative (APIN) – were engaged as implementing partners to ensure the success of ANRiN intervention in the state.
“The non state actors visit beneficiaries at home and provide services in the selected Primary Healthcare Centres across the state in a bid to support optimal growth and enhanced nutrition.
“They also counsel adolescent girls, pregnant women and nursing mothers on locally sourced nutritional foods in their environments to prevent the infant and child growth defect (stunting),’’ he said.
Baba-Yahaya said that the State Primary Health Care Development Agency is also providing three nutrition services.
These, he said, include Iron Folic Acid/Multiple Micronutrients Supplement, Sulfadoxine perimethamine and Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition Counseling to pregnant women in 100 primary healthcare centres.
He said that with the number of children, pregnant women, adolescent pregnant women and nursing mothers so far reached, “it is possible to achieve zero prevalence rate of malnutrition in the state in future”.
Baba-Yahaya said that four of the services were being provided for children and three to pregnant women and nursing mothers.
“The intervention for children includes Micronutrients Powder, Vitamin A supplementation, Deworming tablet, and Zinc & Oral Rehydration Solution.
“The ones for pregnant women and nursing mothers include Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition Counselling, Iron Folic Acid/multiple micronutrients supplements and Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (Fansider),” he said.
He said that the state was rated the best performing in safeguard aspect of the project in the country by the Federal Ministry of Health.
Baba-Yahaya also said that the state was rated second in Social Behavioral Change Communication, and third in Coordination of Development Partners, towards reducing the prevalence of malnutrition.
He said that health is one of the topmost priorities of the government.
He promised that government would continue to be committed towards achieving universal healthcare coverage by making health accessible and affordable to all the citizens.
The commissioner said that the government had concluded plans to upgrade some medical facilities in the state to General Hospital. (NAN)
