Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has been charged to increase the state budget line on nutrition to safeguard children and women from malnutrition and subsequent maternal and child morbidity.
The charge is one of the resolutions contained in a communiqué issued on Monday at the end of a one-day media engagement on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding in Kaduna organized by the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) under the SUN Movement Pooled Fund Window II. The communique was signed by the Coordinator, CS-SUNN, Kaduna state, Mr Silas Ideva.
The communiqué noted that Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown have worsened poverty and malnutrition in Kaduna state, amidst other challenges such poor maternal nutrition, poor infant and young child feeding practices, inadequate health services and micronutrient deficiencies, hence the need for government to increase its budget line to improve the health of children and women in the state.
“COVID-19 has deepened poverty situation, and by implication worsening the malnutrition situation in Kaduna state. The state government should increase investment in nutrition and facilitate timely releases, cash backing and utilization of allocated nutrition funds for outlined activities at the state and local level.
“The need for signing and implementation of the State Multisectoral Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition (KDMSPAN) and other nutrition policy documents is fundamental in overcoming malnutrition as well as poverty.
“Poor nutrition impedes cognitive and physical development, with underlying impact on economic potentiality of the state. Data from World Bank reveals that undernutrition can decreases GDP by 3-7% (up to 11%) – (World Bank 2005). Hence multisectoral approach is required in addressing it.
“Continuous evidence-based advocacy for increased investment by domestic resources for nutrition intervention should be actively embarked upon by the CSOs and the media. Establishment and functionality of local government areas committee on food and nutrition should be enhanced in line with the state policy on food and nutrition.
Scale-up of high impact nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions especially in high burdened and hard to reach LGAs and communities should be appropriately targeted and delivered.
“The media is one of the strategic partners for increasing nutrition salience and creating awareness in the state and at the community level. Capacity building activities and trainings should be facilitated for them to enhance their skills on investigative journalism that increases nutrition reportage,” the communiqué added.
