UNICEF, Gombe Launch Initiative to Combat Child Malnutrition, Call for Greater Investment in First 1,000 Days

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

The Gombe State Government, in partnership with UNICEF and the Latter-day Saints Charities (LDSC), has launched a new nutrition project aimed at preventing malnutrition among mothers and children during the first 1,000 days of life, describing the period as the foundation for a child’s lifelong health, learning and productivity.

The project, unveiled during a stakeholders’ meeting at Travel View Hotel in Gombe, seeks to strengthen maternal and child nutrition services, improve infant and young child feeding practices, and reduce child malnutrition across the state.

Speaking at the event, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office praised the Gombe State Government for its sustained commitment to improving the welfare of women and children through strategic investments and collaboration with development partners.

> **”Today represents another important milestone in our collective commitment to ensuring that every mother and every child in Gombe State have the opportunity not only to survive but to thrive,”** the UNICEF official said.

The official noted that the first 1,000 days—from conception until a child’s second birthday—are the most critical period for brain development, physical growth, immunity and lifelong health, stressing that investments made during this period produce some of the highest returns in human capital development.

> **”The first 1,000 days happen only once. If we get it right, children will survive, learn better, grow stronger and become healthier, more productive citizens who contribute to the development of Gombe State,”** the official added.

UNICEF expressed concern over the persistent burden of malnutrition in Nigeria, citing findings from the **2023–2024 National Demographic and Health Survey**, which show that malnutrition remains a significant threat to children’s wellbeing in Gombe State.

The organisation explained that the new initiative is aligned with the Federal Government’s **Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative**, the Health Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), and the National Food and Nutrition Policy. It is expected to strengthen nutrition planning, accountability, financing and service delivery at both state and local government levels.

According to UNICEF, the project will focus on strengthening evidence-based planning and coordination, improving maternal and child nutrition services, reinforcing health, food and social protection systems, and promoting social and behaviour change interventions to encourage healthy nutrition practices among families.

> **”These investments will help improve maternal nutrition, increase exclusive breastfeeding, promote appropriate complementary feeding, prevent micronutrient deficiencies, strengthen community-based nutrition services and ultimately reduce child malnutrition and mortality,”** the UNICEF representative said.

The organisation emphasised that no single institution can solve the challenge of malnutrition alone, calling for stronger collaboration among government ministries, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and communities.

> **”The success of this initiative will require strong political commitment, sustained domestic investment and effective collaboration across sectors including health, agriculture, education, water, sanitation, social protection, traditional institutions, religious leaders, civil society and development partners,”** the official said.

UNICEF also urged stakeholders to prioritise nutrition as a key development investment by increasing domestic funding, strengthening coordination across sectors, using reliable data for planning and accountability, and mobilising communities to adopt optimal maternal, infant and young child feeding practices.

Representing Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya at the launch, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, **Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu**, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition through sustained investments in primary healthcare and strategic partnerships with development organisations.

**”The administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya recognises that good nutrition is fundamental to the survival, growth and development of every child. That is why we have continued to prioritise interventions that strengthen primary healthcare, improve nutrition services and expand access to quality healthcare for women and children across the state,”** Dr Shuaibu said.

He commended UNICEF and the Latter-day Saints Charities for supporting the initiative, describing the partnership as timely and critical to the state’s efforts to reduce child malnutrition. He assured stakeholders that the government would provide the necessary leadership, coordination and resources required for the successful implementation of the project.

Dr Shuaibu further called on traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and community members to support the campaign by promoting exclusive breastfeeding, proper complementary feeding and other healthy nutrition practices. According to him, collective action remains essential to ensuring that every child in Gombe has the opportunity to survive, grow and realise his or her full potential.

The launch marks another step in Gombe State’s efforts to tackle malnutrition and improve child survival, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the initiative will contribute to healthier families and better development outcomes across the state.

Gombe, UNICEF Targets Child Malnutrition with N1bn Lifeline

By Auwal Umar, Gombe

The Gombe State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have unveiled a N1 billion intervention aimed at combating acute malnutrition among children, as alarming nutrition indicators continue to threaten the well-being of thousands of young children across the state.

The intervention, funded through a counterpart arrangement in which the state government and UNICEF contributed N500 million each, will provide Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Speaking during a monitoring exercise of the nutrition commodities, the executive secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu, described malnutrition as one of the most serious public health challenges confronting the state.

According to him, the therapeutic food products will be distributed across all local government areas to ensure that affected children receive timely treatment and nutritional support.

“These emergency foods, known as ready-to-use therapeutic food, are meant for the management of children with acute malnutrition. The Gombe State Government has provided N500 million as matching funds, while UNICEF also contributed N500 million, bringing the total investment to N1 billion,” he said.

Dr Shuaibu noted that the government was taking proactive measures because of the growing burden of child malnutrition in the state.

Recent findings from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023-24 show that malnutrition remains a major concern in Gombe and across the North-East. The survey revealed that children in the region continue to face high levels of stunting, wasting and underweight conditions, indicators that reflect chronic and acute undernutrition.

The agency head said the intervention aims to save lives and get the supplies to the kids who need them most.

“Gombe has a high number of malnourished children, and this situation has compelled the government to take decisive action. We are monitoring the distribution process closely to ensure transparency and accountability so that these commodities reach the intended beneficiaries,” he stated.

Also speaking, UNICEF’s Vaccine Security and Logistics Representative in Gombe State, Pharmacist Abubakar Muhammad, said the intervention was informed by nutrition data that identified a significant number of children requiring urgent nutritional support.

“Based on available data, we observed that many children are suffering from malnutrition and require these nutritional supplements. That is why UNICEF intervened by providing ready-to-use therapeutic food for the management of malnourished children,” he explained.

Muhammad noted that UNICEF has maintained a strong partnership with Gombe State over the past seven years, supporting various health and nutrition programmes aimed at improving child survival and development.

“UNICEF has been supporting Gombe State for the past seven years, and we remain committed to sustaining this intervention and other programmes that improve the health and nutrition of children,” he added.

Health experts say severe acute malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children under five, especially in vulnerable communities where access to nutritious food is limited.

With the new N1 billion investment, thousands of children are expected to benefit from life-saving treatment, offering renewed hope to families struggling to protect their children from the devastating effects of hunger and malnutrition.

For many parents across Gombe, the intervention represents more than a government programme, it is a chance for their children to survive, recover and grow into healthy adults.

34.7 Million Mosquito Nets Reach Nigerians as Supply Chain Innovation Boosts Malaria Fight

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

A major effort to help Nigeria fight malaria has successfully delivered 34.7 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to 10 states in 2025, according to the Supply Chain Initiative (SCI) run by the Society for Family Health (SFH).

The achievement highlights the crucial role of efficient transportation, warehousing, and tracking systems in delivering lifesaving health commodities to millions of households, particularly in communities vulnerable to malaria.

In a statement issued in Abuja, MD Christopher Dangana said the operation ranks among the largest mosquito net distribution exercises carried out in the country recently.

He noted that while public attention often focuses on the number of nets distributed or lives protected, the success of such health interventions largely depends on the strength of the logistics network behind them.

According to him, the programme demonstrated how technology-driven solutions, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders can significantly improve the delivery of critical healthcare supplies.

Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by malaria globally, with pregnant women and children under the age of five among the most vulnerable groups. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets continue to be recognised as one of the most effective preventive tools against malaria.

Dangana explained that moving millions of mosquito nets from central warehouses to communities required a vast operational structure that involved storage facilities, transportation routes, local government depots, and thousands of distribution centres spread across the participating states.

The initiative was implemented in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and other development partners, and was funded by the Global Fund.

He disclosed that a total of 36.5 million mosquito nets were transported from central storage facilities to local government warehouses, while 34.7 million eventually reached community-level distribution points where beneficiaries collected them.

Describing the operation as a landmark achievement, Dangana said every successful delivery represented additional protection for families living in malaria-prone areas.

A key factor behind the success, he said, was the introduction of digital tools designed to improve accountability and provide real-time visibility throughout the supply chain.

One of the innovations deployed was the logistic tracking application, which enabled program managers and health officials to monitor the movement of mosquito nets from dispatch to final delivery.

The technology was initially tested in two states during the 2024 campaign before being expanded to all 10 participating states this year.

Dangana revealed that the project recorded complete delivery coverage across all designated locations without losing a single mosquito net during transportation.

“The programme achieved full delivery to all targeted local government warehouses and distribution centres, with no losses recorded throughout the movement process,” he stated.

Data from the campaign showed that Kano State received the highest allocation, with 7.74 million mosquito nets. Kaduna followed with 4.5 million, while Katsina received 4.3 million.

Other beneficiary states included Niger and Delta with 3.1 million nets each, Jigawa with 2.98 million, Ogun with 2.91 million, Gombe with 2.1 million, Yobe with 2.05 million, and Taraba with 1.7 million.

Dangana explained that every consignment passed through a digital verification process that tracked dispatch, transit, arrival, and confirmation stages. Electronic proof of delivery was generated for each shipment, creating a transparent record of movement and receipt.

He added that the technology significantly improved oversight and reduced the risk of diversion or loss of commodities.

Despite the success, the operation was not without challenges. Logistics teams had to navigate poor road infrastructure, seasonal flooding, and difficult-to-access rural communities.

In some parts of Delta State, for example, transportation involved a combination of trucks and boats to reach riverine settlements. Certain deliveries required multiple transfers before arriving at their final destinations.

Limited telecommunications coverage in remote areas also affected the speed of digital reporting during parts of the campaign.

Nevertheless, Dangana said the teams maintained delivery schedules and ensured that all designated communities received their allocations.

He praised the partnership among government agencies, donor organisations, and implementing partners, noting that strong coordination was critical to the success of the project.

According to him, the National Malaria Elimination Programme provided strategic leadership, while Catholic Relief Services was the principal recipient of Global Fund malaria grants.

He stressed that robust logistics systems help maximise donor investments and expand access to preventive healthcare services.

“When supply chains function effectively, health programmes can reach more people and achieve a greater impact. The successful delivery of 34.7 million mosquito nets translates into protection for approximately 17.3 million Nigerians against malaria,” he said.

The latest distribution campaign is expected to strengthen ongoing efforts to reduce malaria infections and deaths across the country, particularly among the most vulnerable populations.