The Civil Society-Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Thursday revealed that 67.9% of children under the age of 5 are anaemic with 65.1% of women of reproductive age suffering the scourge in Nasarawa state.
The executive secretary CS-SUNN, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka, said this in Lafia during a one day media roundtable on micro-nutrient deficiency control in collaboration with the federal ministry of health and Agriculture organised by CS-SUNN, a civil society organisation.
Beatrice, who expressed worry over the high rate of malnourish children in the state is unacceptable and call for deliberate actions to address the situation.
She said that billions of people are suffering from different forms of malnutrition, adding that the burden has remained a great source of concern particularly in developing countries including Nigeria.
“Through federal government has put in place strategies to address the burden of micronutrient deficiencies, such as Vitamin A supplementation, Zinc supplementation, micronutrient powders, iron-folic acid supplementation and nutrients education on bio- fortified goods, these disturbing statistics is an indication that a lot more still needs to be done to combat the scourge”.
CS-SUNN is therefore calling on government at all levels to scale up provision of basic package of nutrition services across primary health care centers in Nigeria.
Adding that the provision of routine services in primary health centers should be prioritise as this will promote distribution of micronutrient powder, Iron and Folic Acid supplements and zinc including vitamin A supplementation for Pregnant women and children respectively.
CS-SUNN further urged state government yet to approve their state Specific Strategic plan of action for nutrition to do so and commence implementation.
” We again urged states without budget lines for nutrition to create such and to ensure releases with specific funds allotted to interventions around micro nutrient powder biofortification, iron folate supplement and vitamin A supplementation among others.
