In a bid to avert the death of over 2.5 million Nigerian children annually from malnutrition, stake holders in childcare have made a call for the immediate release of funds for nutrition in the 2016 budget. This was called for in order to batten the nutritional status of millions of children, especially in the north.
At a two-day Summit in Kano State for State Policy Makers on Financing Nutrition in Northern Nigeria, they also demanded that adequate funds should be provided in the 2017 States’ budgets to scale up nutrition interventions. A communique was also signed by representatives of various organizations.
They expressed their displeasure over the continued deaths of Nigerian children from severe acute malnutrition. They further stressed the need for policy makers to give consideration to adequate fund provision. This was suggested in order to maximize and leverage donor resources for treatment of severe acute malnourished children.
They urged the government to consider nutrition as a multi-sectoral issue; develop and adopt multi-sectorial policies and implementable cost plans to address the high rates of malnutrition in Northern Nigeria.
“Nigeria should also embrace local capacity in addressing malnutrition through diversification into agricultural sector to boost local remedies, enhanced financial support for small-scale farming and Small Scale Enterprises; and appropriate community mobilization, sensitization and awareness.” – they added.
