With malnutrition now a threat in the northern states of the country, Nasarawa State government is partnering UNICEF with a view to tackling it.
The state is working with the D Field Office of the global body, which has a presence in 10 Northern states.
The partnership was forged at a one-day meeting whose theme was: “Sahelian nutrition crises, a call for collective action.”
The meeting held at theTa’Al Conference Centre in Lafia, the state capital.
Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura attended alongside several cabinet members and other government officials, as well as dignitaries from beyond the state.
Welcoming participants to the parley, Almakura said women and children are often the hardest hit by nutrition.
The governor also said women and children are the most vulnerable to diseases, illiteracy, ignorance and poverty.
“It is for this reason that the interventionist role of UNICEF in partnership with governments across the world towards alleviating the adverse effects of development is highly commendable.
Almakura describedthe the theme of the meeting as “a reflection of the prevailing food situation in the Sahel region among which are many African countries including parts of Nigeria comprising some states in zone ‘D’.
“It is, therefore, a clarion call on all and sundry to come together to explore possibilities of saving our people from imminent hunger.
“To this end, we must overcome the lip-service syndrome to realise our dream of the improvement in the living conditions of the citizenry.
“This means UNICEF alone should not be left with this enormous responsibility. Similarly, Government alone cannot shoulder the burden. It is, therefore, necessary that all hands are on deck to achieve the desired goals, “he said.
In a communique at the end of the meeting, the 10 participating states resolved to develop a framework in line with the national nutrition policy as well as commit to transforming ad-hoc state and nutrition committees that will have adequate budgetary provision to support the implementation of nutrition services especially in addressing child malnutrition.
It was also agreed that the state community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) be committed to the scaling up, by at least 10 per cent, the current implementation level by the end of 2013.
CMAM is also expected to commence the implementation of the terms of its collaboration with UNICEF by piloting in at least one local government area by the end of the first quarter of 2013 as well as strengthening the coordination of partnership on nutrition in each of the 10 states.
States are equally expected to intensify capacity development of health workers and community volunteers for adequate service and provision to support CMAM implementation and to support structures to accelerate creation of awareness, community sensitisation and women empowerment to support interventions in respect of the nutrition crises.
In summary, a statement from the UNICEF D Field office media advisory stated that the aim of the meeting was to discuss the Sahelian Malnutrition Crisis and the need for action by all stakeholders; highlight the need for concerted and integrated approaches in addressing developmental problems in the region.
