Prioritize Nutritional Interventions For Children, UNICEF Tells Govt

The United Nation Children’s Fund has called on government to increase nutritional interventions for children under the age of two.

It said this would help to reduce preventable deaths due to wasting among children.

Wasting is the result of a weight falling significantly below the weight expected of a child of the same length or height.

Wasting in children is a symptom of acute undernutrition, usually as a consequence of insufficient food intake or a high incidence of infectious diseases, especially diarrhoea.

UNICEF said it had observed a current spike of wasting among children 0-23 months, stating that aggravating conditions like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic recession, insurgency and farmers-herders crisis have increased the burden of malnutrition in Nigeria.

The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Office in Bauchi, Tushar Rane, disclosed this during the launch of a nutrition programme titled: ‘Progressing action on resilient systems for nutrition through innovation and partnership.’

According to Rane, there is a high incidence of stunted and underweight children in the state, noting that child malnutrition has been identified as a major contributor to the increasing incidence of under-five mortality.

Rane said, “There is an urgent need for a strategic shift towards prioritizing children under the age of two in nutrition interventions.

“The project will implement evidence-informed protocols and strategies for the prevention, early detection, treatment, and care of children with wasting.”

He said the project will also improve the capacity of government services to prevent and treat wasting and ensure the quality of facility – and community-based routine services for children with wasting.

Rane further explained that the project will contribute to the reduction of wasting and the ending of preventable deaths due to wasting among children under five years.

“In addition, UNICEF is currently supporting Gombe State on the ongoing Maternal, New-born and Child Health Week.

“UNICEF will continue to support Gombe State in Primary Health Care to ensure improved maternal, newborn and child health outcomes in Kwami LGA,” he said.