Takes Bold Steps in the Fight Against Malnutrition 226 Health workers train in Gombe
By Auwal Ahmad, Gombe
In a bold step to curb malnutrition, Gombe State in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health under Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), has trained 228 Primary Health Care workers on Maternal Infant Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN). The trainees, drawn from all 114 wards of the state, are poised to drive grassroots implementation of the improved nutrition policy.
Mr. Suleiman Mamman, the lead facilitator, highlighted that the MIYCN policy is an upgrade from the Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) program introduced in 2012.
The training, organized by the Federal Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Bank, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), and the Gombe State Government, includes ten comprehensive manuals addressing breastfeeding, adolescent and maternal health, and behavioral change communication, among others.
“This policy takes a holistic approach by emphasizing the mother’s crucial role in child development, starting from pregnancy,” Mamman explained.
He further noted that the training, which began with secondary healthcare workers, now extends to the primary level, with two participants representing each political ward.
He expressed optimism that proper implementation of the MIYCN policy could drastically reduce stunting and wasting levels by next year, eliminating the need for expensive nutritional supplements like plumpy nuts or Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF).
Dr. Maryam Abubakar, Director of Community and Primary Health at the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, shed light on the state’s alarming stunting indices.
“Malnutrition doesn’t start at birth; it can begin even before conception,” she emphasized. She explained that enhancing maternal nutrition can result in healthier babies, improving stunting rates and overall malnutrition indices.
Dr. Abubakar added that addressing maternal health during pregnancy and delivery is crucial to combating maternal mortality.
State Nutrition Officer, Madam Ronas Amusa, reinforced the importance of nutrition before conception and during the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life. “Proper nutrition in these early stages prevents malnutrition cycles that can persist into adulthood and affect future generations,” she said.
The initiative is a significant stride toward reducing malnutrition and improving maternal and child health in Gombe State. Stakeholders are hopeful that these efforts will yield measurable improvements in health indices and set a precedent for other states..
