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From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Gombe State Government and the Latter-day Saints Charities (LDSC), has launched a new initiative aimed at preventing malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, describing the period as critical to a child’s survival, growth and future productivity.
The project was unveiled on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Travel View Hotel, Gombe, where the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, stressed that investments made from conception until a child’s second birthday deliver the highest returns in human capital development.
Represented at the event by the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya received commendation from UNICEF for the state’s sustained commitment to improving the wellbeing of women and children through collaboration with development partners.
UNICEF noted that malnutrition remains a major threat to child survival, citing the 2023–2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which identified the condition as a significant challenge affecting children in Gombe State.
According to the agency, the project aligns with the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative (N-774), the Health Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), and the National Food and Nutrition Policy.
UNICEF said the intervention will strengthen evidence-based planning, coordination, accountability and financing for nutrition programmes at state and local government levels. It will also reinforce health, food and social protection systems to ensure pregnant women and young children receive quality nutrition services throughout the first 1,000 days of life.
The project will further promote healthy diets through social and behaviour change interventions designed to improve exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, maternal nutrition, micronutrient intake and community-based nutrition services.
UNICEF called on governments, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and development partners to increase domestic financing for nutrition, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, improve data-driven planning and mobilise communities to adopt optimal maternal, infant and young child feeding practices to reduce malnutrition and child mortality across Gombe State.
