The nutrition stakeholders in the Lagos State, have demanded for the fast-tracking of transfer for counterpart funding to facilitate timely release of the Multiple Micronutrition Supplement (MMS) and other nutritional aided medication to requisite health facilities in the state, reports ITREALMS.
This demand was made at a day policy dialogue on the MMS by the Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition in collaboration with Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) which brought together a diverse group of participants, including the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, nutrition partners (Alive and Thrive, Nutrition International), healthcare professionals, media, representatives, and other key stakeholders.
A communique from the stakeholders available to ITREALMS and presented by the National Coordinator, Media Centre Against Malnutrition (MeCAM), Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, enjoined Lagos State government to prioritize nutrition funding to improve nutrition indices in the state, especially on MMS.
They underscored the fact that this is achievable through fast-tracking of the transfer of the counterpart funding for the procurement of MMS.
The state government, they said should prioritize nutrition funding to improve nutrition indices in the state by way of adequate and early release of approved nutrition funding, Ready to use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Ready to use Supplementary Food (RUSF); Micronutrient Powder (MNP ) for Children under 5; Small Quantity-Lipid based Supplement (SQ-LNS) in the state, leveraging on the Child Nutrition Funding opportunity as soon as possible.
In addition, the said, the State Government should leverage on the use of Social media to sensitize and disseminate the right information about MMS especially to the younger generation of breastfeeding and pregnant women.
The State should ensure that the Taskforce is set up to assist in tracking and monitoring of the distribution, uptake and coverage and to come up with a scorecard.
ITREALMS gathered that the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023; stunted children under five stood at 40 per cent nationwide.
Whereas in Lagos, according to NDHS 2023, the stunted children stood at 17.3% out of 5.5m; wasted children is 6.0% and underweight children remained 14.3%.
To this end, a day policy dialogue was held in Lagos State to discuss the importance of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) and get the buy-in of key stakeholders on Child Nutrition Funding (CNF) opportunity.
Gbemi Omotoso/Editor
A communique from the stakeholders available to ITREALMS and presented by the National Coordinator, Media Centre Against Malnutrition (MeCAM), Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, enjoined Lagos State government to prioritize nutrition funding to improve nutrition indices in the state, especially on MMS.
They underscored the fact that this is achievable through fast-tracking of the transfer of the counterpart funding for the procurement of MMS.
The state government, they said should prioritize nutrition funding to improve nutrition indices in the state by way of adequate and early release of approved nutrition funding, Ready to use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Ready to use Supplementary Food (RUSF); Micronutrient Powder (MNP ) for Children under 5; Small Quantity-Lipid based Supplement (SQ-LNS) in the state, leveraging on the Child Nutrition Funding opportunity as soon as possible.
In addition, the said, the State Government should leverage on the use of Social media to sensitize and disseminate the right information about MMS especially to the younger generation of breastfeeding and pregnant women.
The State should ensure that the Taskforce is set up to assist in tracking and monitoring of the distribution, uptake and coverage and to come up with a scorecard.
ITREALMS gathered that the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023; stunted children under five stood at 40 per cent nationwide.
Whereas in Lagos, according to NDHS 2023, the stunted children stood at 17.3% out of 5.5m; wasted children is 6.0% and underweight children remained 14.3%.
To this end, a day policy dialogue was held in Lagos State to discuss the importance of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) and get the buy-in of key stakeholders on Child Nutrition Funding (CNF) opportunity.
Gbemi Omotoso/Editor
No comments:
Post a Comment