UNICEF to Provide Technical Support for Sokoto to Reduce Infant Mortality

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has said it would provide technical support to the Sokoto State Government to enable it reduce the infant mortality rate across the  23 local government areas of the state.

The UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate, stated this when she led a high-power delegation on an advocacy visit to the state Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, at the Government House in Sokoto.

Munduate explained that UNICEF was ready to work with the state in the area of health service delivery, water, sanitation and hygiene.

She disclosed that things were not the same as of 10 years ago, but stressed that more are needed to be done to improve the living standard of women and children in the state. 

The UNICEF representative enjoined women to breastfeed their children at least for six months before giving them supplementary food.

She noted that breastfeeding supplies necessary nutritional support for children below the age of one year, and also urged mothers to vaccinate their children against killer diseases.

According to her, prevention of malnutrition through scaling up maternal, infant and young child nutrition in the state remains the ultimate priority of the organisation.

She said the aim of the visit to the governor was to strengthen the existing relationship with the state government, particularly in the areas of health, WASH, and education among others.

The UNICEF chief congratulated the governor on his election victory, saying UNICEF is looking forward to working with him.

While, responding, Governor Aliyu thanked Munduate and her team for the visit, saying his government would work with UNICEF in addressing challenges facing the state in the thematic areas of nutrition, education, health, WASH, child protection and social policy.

He said: “You come here to support us in order to make our lives better. So, if you can come to support us and make our own lives better, why can’t we support you to do that?”

Aliyu further stated that the challenges mentioned by Munduate were also captured in his nine-point agenda for the state.