Nutrition: 66.1 percent of Kebbi children stunted

From Samaila Bayo, Kebbi

A non governmental organization, Civil Society, Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN ) in collaboration with Unicef and Kebbi State Government to takcle cases of malnutrition and increase investment in nutrition services has said the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2018 shows that 66.1 percent of children under five years in kebbi State are stunted.

It added that 46.4 percent of them are also underweight while 12.3 percent of the children are wasted.

The CS-SUNN during a one day media engagement in Birnin Kebbi on issues of nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding said to takcle the indices, Kebbi State Government must review and approve the state multisectoral plan of action on food and nutrition, extend maternity leave for nursing mothers to six months, establish nutrition departments in the ministries and allocate and release adequate funds for implementation of nutrition interventions.

It said the state government in collaboration with key stakeholders had domesticated the state's multisectoral strategic plan of action for food and nutrition with measurable targets to be achieved between 2016 to 2020 but the plan remains unreviewed.

In her remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Hajiya Aisha said the nutrition indices in the state is not good. "We want to reverse it for the good of Kebbi State and it's people. We will concretize action on nutrition for 2024", she said.

Earlier, the special adviser to the Governor on Non Governmental organisations, Alhaji Usman Buhari said the state is already taking appropriate measures and government is serious about issues of health particularly nutrition.