Zamfara state government has earmarked over N30 million in its 2014 budget as part of its efforts to complement community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) run by development partners in the state; Save the Children and UNICEF.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, disclosed this yesterday when officials of Maternal New Born and Child Health (MNCH) advocacy coalition visited him in Gusau, the state capital.
He said: “I don’t know why in 2013 no single kobo was accessed from the N20million budgeted for nutrition? But I want assure you that I would do to the best of my ability and use my influence to see if not 100 per cent, by God’s grace 80 per cent of the funds allocated in 2014 will be accessed.”
The SSG said government would study the draft policy presented to it on Human Resource for Health and to make necessary consultation before presenting it to the state executive council for adoption.
He said his office would study the comprehensive MNCH fact sheet presented to him by the Coalition and develop action plan for the governor’s approval in order to address problems associated with the maternal and mortality situation in the state.
Earlier, the state MNCH coalition coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Tudu, said the coalition was an advocacy forum initiated to accelerate the commitment of the state government towards improving the health service delivery in the state. He said:
“Government should have a long-term state plan of action on malnutrition. It is not just enough for example if a government shares food to needy and malnourished children on Sallah or Christmas day, for example, government should have a good like 5 year plan or strategy so that the problem is solved on a long term sustainable way and not just a one off thing that will not change the situation in the long run.”
