UNICEF: 2.8m Women, Children Face Threat of Acute Malnutrition in North-east
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
About two million and eight pregnant women, lactating mothers and under five-year old children are currently in dire need of preventive nutrition services across the north eastern part of the country.
Also, approximately 1.7 million boys, girls, women, and adolescents across the BAY states are likely to be affected by acute malnutrition during 2024, including 206,779 pregnant and lactating women.
This was revealed by the UNICEF Chief of Borno Field Office, Dr. Tushar Rane at the Child Malnutrition Media Dialogue and Capacity Building for journalists held in Maiduguri, Borno State to commemorate World Humanitarian Day.
He said: “In our states, approximately 2.8 million children under five and pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) are in need of preventative nutrition services.
“If not provided with quality preventative services, approximately 1.7 million boys, girls, women, and adolescents across the BAY states are likely to be affected by acute malnutrition during 2024, including 206,779 pregnant and lactating women are expected to suffer acute malnutrition.
The UNICEF chief said the 2023 lean season Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance (NFSS) Round 13 conducted across the BAY states, showed that the prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) among children under 5 years in Borno is 10.2 percent, 8.0 percent in Yobe and 4.0 percent in Adamawa.
“This also means that an estimated 511,807 children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition annually, requiring urgent interventions to save their lives,” he said.
Rane said that with the collaborative efforts of government and all partners, over 460,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, during 2023, adding that there was 37 per cent increase over the coverage for same period in 2022.
The Borno State Government has committed the sum of $100,000 counterpart funding to match UNICEF’s contribution in the same sum to the purse. As the Adamawa Government has also signed the CNF MoU, UNICEF is excited about the impact of domestic financing to address child wasting and improve the wellbeing of children affected by conflict.
While highlighting key achievements of the collaborative effort with government, the UNICEF Officer said from January to July 2024 2.6 million Children of age 6-59 months received Vitamin A Supplementation.
He said that 1.5 million children under five years were screened every month across the BAY states for early identification of acute malnutrition and referral to nutrition programme.
According to him, another 322, 000 children 0 – 59 months were admitted and treated in OTP and Inpatient care across the BAY states.
He explained that the month of July 2024 witnessed the highest rate of admission compared to all Julys in the last six years.
Furthermore, the UNICEF Field Officer said that 497,000 caregivers received counselling and support to improve child feeding in 2024 from community and health facilities.
In addition, Rane said that 159,000 Women of Childbearing Age (WCBA) from more than 11,000 Mother-to-Mother support groups received monthly support and counseling on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), while 132,000 children 6-23 months were given micronutrient powder (MNP) for fortification of home-based food.
The Executive Secretary, Yobe State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Babagana Kundi Machina said the community led participatory approach has been initiated in 17 Local Government Areas to address critical nutrition issues through social and behavioral change communication to promote breastfeeding practices.
He explained that the programme of complementary feeding for infants after the age of six months has led to improved hygiene practices including hand washing in Yobe State.
In his presentation, Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Board said that one of the key challenges is inadequate routine drugs for Severe Acute Malnourished Children.
