The coalition in line with its October 2015 proposed activities under the PACFaH project planned and held a one day high level nutrition stakeholders meeting in Kaduna state. The meeting was designed to create awareness of the NSPAN, present advocacy issues/asks to top Government Personnel in MDAs implementing nutrition sensitive and specific interventions, to create nutrition specific budget lines in their annual budgets.
The meeting had in attendance The Wife of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State ably represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor; Mrs. Lady B.B. The Hon. Commissioner for Health and Human Services; Professor Jonathan Andrew Nok who also was the chairman of the meeting, The Permanent Secretary for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo, Representatives of the Permanent Secretaries of Agriculture, Budget and Planning, Education and Women Affairs and Social Development, Representatives from State Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPCDA Zonal technical officer, Partners like, UNICEF Nutrition specialist, SPRING state coordinator, STEER representative, Save the Children Kaduna, CSOs working in Nutrition and the Media.
Meeting Objective:
The meeting was designed to
- Sensitize identified government nutrition actors and other nutrition stakeholders on the burden and challenge of malnutrition in Kaduna state
- Formally present the NSPAN as a solution to reducing malnutrition if adopted and implemented in the state
- Present CS-SUNN/PACFaH advocacy issues and asks to decision makers and top government functionaries in ministries implementing nutrition specific and sensitive interventions/activities in Kaduna state.
- Provide a platform and forum where malnutrition issues in Kaduna will be discussed and a commitment from stakeholders on the best way to solve the problem.
Chairman’s opening remarks:
The Chairman of the meeting, Professor Jonathan Andrew Nok stated by welcoming everybody to the meeting, he buttressed the importance of the meeting by relaying to the house an incidence of severe malnutrition that just claimed the life of a 7 month old twins at the Kofan Gaya general Hospital in Zaria. Under the directive of the Executive Governor, the state tried all they could to save the lives of the twins, but lost them as it was already too late.
He stated that the ministry is serious in the fight against malnutrition and showed this by sending about a month ago, a memo to the executive Governor requesting for a budget line for Nutrition in the state ministry health and human services which he stated the Executive Governor graciously approved on the 27th of October, 2015. He also advised all the other ministries to also follow their example by requesting and securing a budget line for Nutrition in their own ministries.
He thus mandated all at the meeting to fully participate in the meeting and that he expects far reaching action points that will help in the fight against malnutrition in the state.
Keynote Address by Her Excellency, Wife of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State – Strategies to Address the Issue of Malnutrition among women and children in Kaduna state
The Wife of the Executive Governor who was represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ladi B.Bala, read out the speech of her Excellency, in her speech she thanked CS-SUNN for organizing the meeting and expressed her chagrin at the malnutrition rate in the state despite steps already taken to improve nutrition in the state. In conclusion she stated the state’s commitment at combating the menace called malnutrition. Please Click on link to download full speech of her Excellency: SPEECH OF HER EX, WIFE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE DURING THE ONE DAY NUTRITION STAKEHOLDERS MEETING
Next Steps/Commitments
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Dogo Paul led this session, he buttressed the need for schools to go back to farming and after articulating contributions and discussions the house led by the PS came up with the following next steps:
- Finalize and disseminate state specific nutrition costed work plan for Kaduna state
- Re-launch the exclusive breast feeding campaign in the state
- All line ministries to ensure that they have budget lines for nutrition activities in their ministries
- Need to engage communities more strongly and to mainstream nutrition into their activities
- Revamp all food demonstration centers in all designated centers
- Since CS-SUNN in collaboration with the SMoHH has formally appointed her Excellency, wife of the executive governor of Kaduna state as no. 1. nutrition champion in the state, there is the need for the SCFN, SNO and stakeholders to follow up on her Excellency to participate and support nutrition activities in the state
- Suggest to His Excellency and the vice chancellor of Kaduna state University to come up with a BSc. Course on nutrition and dietetics
- Need to engage communities/faith based organizations to promote and participate in nutrition activities
- There should be intra and inter sectoral collaboration to enhance delivery of results for synergy and at scale
- Domesticate the national policy and produce a Kaduna state specific nutrition policy document
- Reactivate growth monitoring and promotion in Kaduna
- Government to give interest free loans to farmers to promote the production of nutritious food in large scale.
Media Links/Publications
El-Rufai’s Wife Decries High level of Malnutition in Kaduna
http://newsdiaryonline.com/el-rufais-wife-decries-high-level-of-malnutition-in-kaduna/
Hadiza El-Rufai demand urgent actions in reducing the rising case of malnutrition among Nigerian children
‘Poor Nutrition Indices, Unacceptable in Kaduna State’ – Hadiza El-Rufai
CS-SUNN tasks Kaduna, other states on maternal, child nutrition imperative
National Mirror newspaper: page 21, 4th November, 2015
http://prnigeria.com/2015/10/nutrition-indices-unacceptable-in-kaduna-state/
http://nigeria.shafaqna.com/EN/NG/1233323
Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Hausa News (National Service) at 4.30pm on 31st October, 2015.
Supreme FM, Kaduna News at 5pm on 31st October, 2015.
Kaduna State Radio Service News at 6pm on 31st October, 2015.
Liberty Television Kaduna News at 12pm on 31st October, 2015.
Liberty Radio Kaduna News at 12pm on 31st October, 2015.
