By Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu
5–7 minutes
The RUTF is expected to treat 14,000 children with wasting - a condition where a child is too thin for his or her height.
The United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) on Tuesday handed over 12,400 cartons of Ready to Use
Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) to the Jigawa State Government to help
malnourished children in the state.
UNICEF's head of Advocacy and Media
relation, Safiya Akau, in a statement, said the RUTF is expected to
treat 14,000 children with wasting - a condition where a child is too
thin for his or her height.
She said this initiative, funded through
the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), reinforced the unwavering commitment of
both the state government and UNICEF to improving child health in
Jigawa.
"Over the past three years, Jigawa State
has shown remarkable leadership in nutrition, health, and WASH (Water,
Sanitation, and Hygiene) through consistent fund releases, quality
service delivery, and creating a strong enabling environment.
"The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) supported
by key donors such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), The
Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Foreign Commonwealth and
Development Office (FCDO) amongst others and managed by UNICEF, is a
unique funding instrument", Ms Akau said.
She added that by matching government
financing of essential nutrition commodities in a 1:1 ratio, governments
can double their investment, accelerating the scale-up of policies and
programmes for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of
malnutrition.
According to the official, Jigawa State was
one of the early adopters of the Child Nutrition Fund, releasing N250
million in 2023. UNICEF matched this amount, which enabled the
procurement of 12,400 cartons of RUTF.
"This initiative will treat children with
severe wasting, marking the largest contribution by any state in Nigeria
under the CNF to date", the official said.
"UNICEF is our key partner, and we are
happy to have seen our partnership becoming even stronger. My government
is committed to work for improving the nutritional status of women and
children of Jigawa State as it is a matter of their fundamental rights,"
Ms Akau quoted Jigawa Governor, Umar Namadi, saying in the statement.
Malnutrition in Nigeria is on the rise,
driven by conflict, forced displacement, and increasing food insecurity
due to limited accessibility and affordability.
Nigeria currently has the highest number of
malnourished children in Africa and the second highest globally, with
over nine million children affected.
Jigawa faces a high burden of malnutrition,
with 64 per cent of children stunted, 9.6 per cent wasted, and 81.9 per
cent suffering from anemia, the statement stated.
"Over 80 per cent of children experience
food poverty, lacking a diverse diet to support growth and development.
Despite these challenges, Jigawa State has been proactive in dealing
with the situation," the official said.
UNICEF say last year, Jigawa procured 4,672
cartons of RUTF, (there are 150 sachets per carton of RUTF) which
treated over 5,000 children.
The United Nation organisation also
commended the state government for local based initiative in addressing
the scourge of malnutrition among children in the state.
"Jigawa's innovative Masaki Nutrition
Programme, with 300 community sites fully funded by the government,
focuses on malnutrition prevention. Trained community health workers are
deployed across the state, making Jigawa the first state in Nigeria to
implement such a community nutrition programme", the official said.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian
Munduate, expressed her admiration for Jigawa State's efforts: "The
commitment of Jigawa State under the leadership of the Governor in
addressing malnutrition has been exemplary.
"The Child Nutrition Fund has allowed us to
double our impact, ensuring that more children receive the life-saving
treatment they need. I sincerely hope other state governments will be
encouraged by the commitment shown by Jigawa State and invest in the
child nutrition fund to address malnutrition in their respective
states", Ms Munduate was quoted in the statement.
The RUTF is expected to treat 14,000 children with wasting - a condition where a child is too thin for his or her height.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday handed over 12,400 cartons of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) to the Jigawa State Government to help malnourished children in the state.
UNICEF's head of Advocacy and Media relation, Safiya Akau, in a statement, said the RUTF is expected to treat 14,000 children with wasting - a condition where a child is too thin for his or her height.
She said this initiative, funded through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), reinforced the unwavering commitment of both the state government and UNICEF to improving child health in Jigawa.
"Over the past three years, Jigawa State has shown remarkable leadership in nutrition, health, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) through consistent fund releases, quality service delivery, and creating a strong enabling environment.
"The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) supported by key donors such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) amongst others and managed by UNICEF, is a unique funding instrument", Ms Akau said.
She added that by matching government financing of essential nutrition commodities in a 1:1 ratio, governments can double their investment, accelerating the scale-up of policies and programmes for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of malnutrition.
According to the official, Jigawa State was one of the early adopters of the Child Nutrition Fund, releasing N250 million in 2023. UNICEF matched this amount, which enabled the procurement of 12,400 cartons of RUTF.
"This initiative will treat children with severe wasting, marking the largest contribution by any state in Nigeria under the CNF to date", the official said.
"UNICEF is our key partner, and we are happy to have seen our partnership becoming even stronger. My government is committed to work for improving the nutritional status of women and children of Jigawa State as it is a matter of their fundamental rights," Ms Akau quoted Jigawa Governor, Umar Namadi, saying in the statement.
Malnutrition in Nigeria is on the rise, driven by conflict, forced displacement, and increasing food insecurity due to limited accessibility and affordability.
Nigeria currently has the highest number of malnourished children in Africa and the second highest globally, with over nine million children affected.
Jigawa faces a high burden of malnutrition, with 64 per cent of children stunted, 9.6 per cent wasted, and 81.9 per cent suffering from anemia, the statement stated.
"Over 80 per cent of children experience food poverty, lacking a diverse diet to support growth and development. Despite these challenges, Jigawa State has been proactive in dealing with the situation," the official said.
UNICEF say last year, Jigawa procured 4,672 cartons of RUTF, (there are 150 sachets per carton of RUTF) which treated over 5,000 children.
The United Nation organisation also commended the state government for local based initiative in addressing the scourge of malnutrition among children in the state.
"Jigawa's innovative Masaki Nutrition Programme, with 300 community sites fully funded by the government, focuses on malnutrition prevention. Trained community health workers are deployed across the state, making Jigawa the first state in Nigeria to implement such a community nutrition programme", the official said.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, expressed her admiration for Jigawa State's efforts: "The commitment of Jigawa State under the leadership of the Governor in addressing malnutrition has been exemplary.
"The Child Nutrition Fund has allowed us to double our impact, ensuring that more children receive the life-saving treatment they need. I sincerely hope other state governments will be encouraged by the commitment shown by Jigawa State and invest in the child nutrition fund to address malnutrition in their respective states", Ms Munduate was quoted in the statement.