The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCB), says it will provide supplements to 67, 500 pregnant women in the state to improve their nutrition. The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Hamza Abubakar, disclosed this when the Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), a Non-governmental Organization, paid him an advocacy visit in Kaduna.
Abubakar who was represented by Dr Neyu Iliyasu, said pregnant women will be given iron and folic acid, as well as Sulphadoxine- Pyrimethamine to prevent malaria. He assured that the target to reach 67,500 women with Iron and Folic acid supplementation would be achieved within 2021 considering the number of health facilities in the state.
The board secretary restated the state government’s political will to address malnutrition in the state saying nutrition interventions have been scaled up in Kaduna State. He disclosed that the state government releases N1 million monthly to all local governments to support nutrition interventions. Abubakar also said that nine facilities in each local government were utilizing the minimum packages for nutrition services.
“We usually have an annual operational plan which we can’t disclose now, but the plan is also to scale up nutrition. We usually do the planning with Civil Society Organizations. We thank the media for availing us the opportunity to be updated based on the new priorities coming up in the state. The annual operational plan is not just a document for the state, but for partners and CSOs to use and understand where the state is heading’’, He said.
He commended CS-SUNN for her support to the ministry and contributions to the state government towards improving nutritional status of women and children in the state.
CS-SUNN project officer, Mary Makanjuola, said that the objective of the advocacy visit was to follow up on basic minimum packages of nutrition in the state. She explained that it was important for CS-SUNN to know the gaps, lapses and challenges of implementing the minimum package of nutrition in the state. The information, she said, would inform reviews to nutrition programming designed to support the state.
