The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kaduna State, obtained the commitment of the Zazzau Emirate Council to reduce the rate of malnutrition in the state.
The NOA Director in Kaduna State, Alhaji Zubair Soba made this known yesterday after the advocacy campaign to Malam Ahmed Bamalli, the Emir of Zazzau in Zaria.
Soba said the advocacy visit was to seek the support of the council to work toward curtailing malnutrition and strengthening infant and maternal health in the state.
He said the advocacy became imperative “because the infant and maternal indices in Kaduna State are alarming, despite investments by the state government and development partners to tackle the challenge.
“The advocacy team intends to obtain suggestions from the council on better ways of encouraging men to key into the fight against malnutrition and other good reproductive health practices.”
He, therefore, commended the Emir for the warm reception given to the nutrition committee, which included officials from Kaduna State Government and relevant stakeholders.
Ms Chinwe Ezeife, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist in Kaduna Field Office said the advocacy visit was to promote the consumption of nutritious foods that would enhance the health of women and children.
She noted that the advocacy had achieved remarkable successes in many areas, saying that the royal father’s pledge to influence behavioural change was a huge leap to healthy living.
She said the team was pleased that it had a dialogue with the Zazzau Emir and the entire district heads of the emirate, adding that “the district heads will, in turn, go to their districts, communities and catchment areas to mobilise other influencers to promote key messages with a view to reducing the malnutrition scourge.
“The advocacy was to create awareness on nutrition and utilisation of good natural foods and encourage breastfeeding in the first one hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for six months.”
The Technical Adviser Kaduna State Nutrition Action Plan Malam Sani Hassan said “99 per cent of women in Kaduna State are aware of the benefits of early initiation to breastfeeding and dangers of early weaning to the brain development of infants.
“Only 27 per cent of women practice exclusive breastfeeding in the state, while less than 50 per cent initiate breastfeeding within the first one hour after birth of a child.
“There is a huge gap between knowledge and practice, hence the need for your intervention to encourage and enlighten husbands to key into this initiative.”
In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmad Bamalli, said the council has a good health structure and will deploy a similar strategy as used in polio to reduce malnutrition and improve maternal mortality indices in the state.
He said: “We will always support these kinds of initiatives, which are aimed at improving the health and welfare of our people, especially women and children.