Kaduna SNO Applauds FHI 360 Alive & Thrive’s Efforts in Curbing Malnutrition
By: Femi Mustapha
Kaduna State Nutrition Officer (SNO) Mrs. Ramatu Haruna has applauded FHI 360 Alive and Thrive’s efforts in preventing Malnutrition among pregnant women and children in Kaduna State, which has helped in curbing anemia.
She asserted this during a quarterly review meeting for Alive and Thrive Sub-grantees Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and other stakeholders held in Kaduna on 21st October 2024.
Mrs. Ramatu Haruna, who expressed dismay that anemia during pregnancy is still a public health concern in Nigeria, with 40% of the population living in poverty..noted that the A&T team is working round the clock through to their Sub-grantees to ensure that the relevant awareness is created.
Mrs Ramatu, who was represented by a Nutritionist from the State Primary Health Care Board, ( SPHCB,) Mary Ogunrinde, stressed that the introduction of the Multiple Micronutrient Supplement would go a long way in addressing the menace and ensuring both mother and child thrive in good health.
While presenting an overview of MMS, the State Team Lead of Alive and Thrive, Sarah Didi Kwasu, explained A&T’s role in the MMS intervention and what is expected from stakeholders.
She informed the gathering that her organization is working with other partners and the government on Multiple Micronutrient supplementations in the Country.
According to her, a single tablet of the MMS contains 11-13 vitamins and minerals that will prevent anemia for pregnant women and their children.
Presenting the objectives of the meeting, the Programme Officer of A&T, Victoria Nenman Adams, said it is meant to get A&T’s CBOs to share their implementation experiences from inception to date, discuss challenges and best practices in providing MIYCN services, and discuss strategic ways for sustaining collaborative efforts made after the exit of CBOs.
Speaking to the media, the Program Manager of Carelink Resource Foundation, Silas Spencer Ideva, said the Maternal Infant Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) intervention was supported by Alive and Thrive and spread across three senatorial zones of the State.
He added that the focus of the project titled Accelerating the Scale of Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Nigeria is to take the message to the grassroots.
Silas disclosed that A&T was able to train and build the capacity of Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to work across the four key areas of interventions, which are the advocacy component, community mobilization, the media and mass communication, and the strategic news updater.
“My organization is privileged to work in the central zone, and the local government we cover includes Kaduna South and Chukun local government in Kaduna state, while my other sub-grantee colleagues covered the other LGAs in the state as well.
Similarly, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer of Kaduna South LGA, Mr Tagang Cephas said the quarterly review meeting has been very impactful because it has reminded participants of so many things that are involved in their various LGAs
According to him, the review meeting has been educative for the few LGAs that have been selected and supported by Alive and Thrive on MIYCN service providers.
