By Abubakar Yunusa
FHI 360 has announced that it trained more than 8,000 health workers in Kano State over the past four years, as part of efforts to tackle malnutrition and improve maternal and child health.
The disclosure was made during the closeout and dissemination meeting of the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) and Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) interventions in Kano.
Dr Ashiru Shitu, the State Team Lead of the Alive and Thrive Nigeria Project, said the initiative has significantly boosted capacity in nutrition service delivery across hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
According to him, despite progress, Nigeria still lags behind in meeting global nutrition targets.
He noted that anaemia among women of reproductive age remains high at 58 percent, while exclusive breastfeeding rates stand at 29 percent.
“Only 12 percent of children between six and 23 months receive a minimum dietary diversity, while stunting has worsened to 40 percent,” Dr Shitu said, citing the most recent health surveys.
The project, funded by development partners, began scaling up MIYCN and MMS interventions in 2021 across seven states—Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, and Lagos.
“From 2024, the programme has focused on supporting government efforts to roll out multiple micronutrient supplements nationally, particularly in Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna and Lagos.”
” The intervention is crucial in preventing anaemia, low birth weight, and other adverse maternal and infant health outcomes.”
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, commended the initiative, stressing that the government will continue to collaborate with partners to improve child survival and maternal well-being.
He also warned nutrition officers against diverting food supplements intended for malnourished children, saying security agencies are monitoring distribution.
“Any ready-to-use therapeutic food that goes missing will have consequences.
“These supplements are meant solely for malnourished children.”
The commissioner explained that the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) distribution, valued at one billion naira, was jointly funded by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf with 500 million naira and UNICEF with another 500 million naira.
