The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Enugu Field Office has called on stakeholders to cooperate and pull resources together to address the pressing issue of malnutrition, especially among mothers and children.
The call was made at a two-day high-level engagement meeting with stakeholders, including heads of civil service and policy makers from eight states of Enugu field office with the theme, ‘Workplace support for Breastfeeding- Extension of six months paid maternity leave zero water and the code of breast milk substitutes.’
Ngozi Onuora, UNICEF Enugu Fields Office Nutrition Specialist, talked on the important of collective action from the stakeholders and other policy makers to improve the nutrition of mothers and children, pointing out that malnourished children with low immune systems are vulnerable to immunization side effects.
Onuora further highlighted the disparity in malnutrition rates between poorer and wealthier households, with children from poorer households being four times more likely to be malnourished.
Chito Nelson, in her presentation on Nutrition situation in Nigeria global targets and gaps presented alarming statistics, revealed that 12 out of every 100 children die due to malnutrition.
She stressed the need for adequate care during pregnancy and antenatal periods, emphasising the importance of a supportive environment, proper food, and healthcare services.
The meeting emphasised the need for increased funding for nutrition and collective action to reduce malnutrition.
Beatrice Eluaka, another speaker, said: “Our goal is to attain optimal nutritional status for all Nigerians especially women and children.”
She stressed the need to prioritise poverty reduction.
The meeting, made up of highly-placed government officials from the eight states, agreed that a multi-sectoral approach, involving public-private partnerships and civil society, is necessary to tackle the complex challenges of hunger and malnutrition in our society.
