Gombe, UNICEF Targets Child Malnutrition with N1bn Lifeline

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.