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•Tasks govt on increased budgetary allocation to nutrition
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the Benue Government to increase its budgetary allocations for nutrition to end all forms of malnutrition, especially among children and adolescents in the state.
The Officer in Charge of UNICEF Field Office Enugu, Dr. Shamina Sharmin, made this call during the Policy Dialogue with Benue State Executive and Legislative Councils on Investment in Nutrition held in Makurdi, yesterday.
The theme of the event was “Harnessing optimal development potentials of Benue State children and adolescents through investment in maternal, infant, young child and Adolescent nutrition key to sustainable development.”
Sharmin said the theme was timely as it is in line with the global development agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals which clearly states that by “2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.”
She, however, regretted that in Benue State, 336,043 of children under five years were stunted according to the NDHS 2023/24 report representing 26 percent.
She said the poor state of nutrition for children can be attributed largely to poor maternal, infant and young child feeding practices during the first 1,000 days.
She noted that while only 17 percent of Benue children receive the minimum acceptable diet, 43 percent others of 0 to 5 months were denied the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
Sharwin, who commended the government for its gallant steps in the approval and public launch of the Benue State policy on Food and Nutrition and the Star Multisectoral Strategic Plan for nutrition, said a dedicated and sustained investment in nutrition would ensure full implementation of the policy.
UNICEF Chief also urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to invest in nutrition through the MatchFunding Mechanism for procurement of commodities, strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration and ensure extension of six months paid maternity leave to boost exclusive breastfeeding, a cornerstone of optimal child nutrition and development.
Speaking on “Child-friendly budgeting: Addressing child nutrition in Benue,” UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Ngozi Onuora, stated that over one million children in the state are hungry out of which more than 800 representing 62 percent are anaemic, in addition to the 49 percent of women who suffer anaemia.
She harped on the need to scale up high impact intervention such as a Multisectoral approach to food and nutrition, development of behavioural change communication to enlighten health practitioners as well as doubling investment in that regard.
Onuora equally called for the full implementation of the state policy on food and nutrition as well as integration of the state strategic plan and to ensure budget allocation and timely release of money in the state and local government areas for nutrition interventions.
Governor Hyacinth Alia acknowledged that the development of any state or nation depends on the health of its people especially that of the children adding that investing in health and nutrition of children is the most powerful way to break the vicious circle of poverty.
Governor Alia who was represented by his deputy, Sam Ode, said the figures from Benue was a red flag that demands immediate response as he noted that the rate of malnutrition among Benue children and adolescents is still unacceptably high.
He, however, noted that Benue state has taken measures to ensure that no child is left behind due to malnutrition as it has prioritized nutrition, not as a luxury but as an essential right of the children and adolescents in the state.
Alia appreciated UNICEF and other stakeholders for their commitment and called for solidarity to improve the nutrition of the children and adolescents to build a stronger, healthier and more prosperous Benue state.
Governor Hyacinth Alia was invested as the State Nutrition Ambassador while the state and all stakeholders signed a commitment board to ensure that the outcomes of the meeting were implemented.
