Lagos focuses on children nutrition says SNO - ITREALMS

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The Lagos State Government has explained the importance of focusing its nutrition efforts on children, reports ITREALMS. 

According to the State Nutrition Officer (SNO), Mrs. Olubunmi Braheem, who spoke at the one-day workshop for Officers in-charge of Primary Health Care Centers in the state, held on the theme "The Minimum Package for Nutrition in a Functional Primary Health Care Centre," said their interventions on children nutrition specifically was because of their vulnerability.
This focus, she said, targets children under five so as to abridge their exposure to dangers, stressing that children are the leaders of tomorrow. 

"The total well-being of a mother and child is our priority in Lagos State," she declared. 

Mrs. Braheem who dwelt on nutrition situation in Lagos State, informed that there are three main delivery platforms deployed by the state in achieving this goal on nutrition. 

This, she said, includes through the health facility, community structures and campaigns cum outreach. 

She equally defined nutrition as Nutrition is defined in many ways, depending on the individual’s perspective. 

Nutrition, she pointed out, has been seen “as the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs”. 

Also, she said, nutrition has been expressed “as the interaction between food we eat and our bodies, and how bodies respond to the 'nutrients' provided by food eaten." 

Mrs. Braheem further stated that basic understanding of nutrition showed that its "As a science that deals with the study of nutrients that are needed to promote, maintain and sustain good health, as well as restore good health in times of illness." 

On the malnutrition situation in Lagos, the State Nutrition Officer, noted malnutrition remain a public health problem that could affect anyone with abnormal nutrition. It is the consequence of inadequate nutrition; young children are more vulnerable because of inappropriate feeding practices and care in early life, frequent illness as well as poor socioeconomic conditions of the family. 

Lagos, she said, has set targets to reduce the number of under-five children who are stunted by 20 per cent by 2020, ensure no increase in childhood overweight or underweight by the same period. 

The centre of excellence, she said, set target to reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 10 per cent by 2020, as well as reduce anaemia in women of reproductive age by 50 per cent within the period under review, while increase exclusive breastfeeding rates in the first six months to at least 50 per cent within same time frame. 

The workshop attended by some 18 officers in-charge were graced by the Head, Nutrition, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) Abuja, Dr. Ogechi Akalonu and State Coordinator of the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Dr. Modupe Akinyinka and member of the CS-SUNN Steering Committee, Mrs. Ebere Okey-Onyema as well as Dr. Adetoke Adekitan of Lagos PHCBoard and representative of Media Against Child Malnutrition (MeCAM Nigeria).

The one-day workshop was hosted for Lagos State in collaboration with PHCDA and CS-SUNN under the Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) project. 

Participants at the one-day workshop on Minimum package for nutrition in a functional primary health care centre in Lagos.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

Pix: Lagos SNO Mrs. Olubunmi Braheem and Head, Nutrition @PCHDA Dr Ogechi Akalonu