Malnutrition Threatens Health, Future of Women, Children — Oyo Commissioner

Despite ongoing effects by the Government and relevant stakeholders at reducing childhood malnutrition status, the persistent burden of malnutrition among women and children threatens the health and future development of the Country.

 This was contained in the address by the Oyo State Commissioner of Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, at the Oyo State Primary Health Care Level Maternal and Young Child Nutrition (MYCN) training sponsored by the World Bank and the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRIN) at the Kakanfo Inn, Ring Road, Ibadan on December 10, 2024.

 The training is expected to hold between December 8 and December 17, 2024. While speaking on the first day of the seven-day training of health workers which comprised of nurses, community health extension workers (CHEW), community health officers (CHO) and midwives, Dr Ajetunmobi explained the importance of the training for primary health workers from the grassroots level of the local government.

 According to her, “Many mothers and caregivers do not have adequate knowledge of appropriate feeding practices and those that have the knowledge, often do not imbibe the required attitude and practice irrespective of the acquired knowledge.

 “As part of the efforts to implement the 64th NCH Resolution, The Nutrition Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with key stakeholders conducted five batches of National ToT between August 2023 and March 2024.

 ‘’253 National Master Trainers were trained across the nation on the MIYCN course from the 36 states and FCT. “2,200 master trainers (60 per state) were also trained at the State level including 81 master trainers in Oyo State alone.

 “Health workers are expected to provide accurate information to households, mothers and other caregivers on optimal maternal, infant and young child nutrition, ensuring that families are supported and well-informed to provide optimal maternal infant and young child nutrition practices.”

 She explained further that to perform this role effectively, the capacity of health workers must be adequately built.

 In her own remarks, the director of Nutrition and the Primary Health Care Board and the project coordinator of the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ARIN), Dr Khadijat Alarape explained that the programme is an initiative of the Federal Ministry Of Health in collaboration with the World Bank.

 She said, “The purpose of this training is to reduce malnutrition as we deal with pregnant women and children. This is the last level whereby health workers working at the grassroots at the ANC clinics, the paediatric clinics are invited.

 “We are building the capacity of the relevant health workers providing their services at the primary health care level. When these capacities are built, they will be able to pass the right message.”