By Aliyu Dangida

Irked by the increased number of children affected by malnutrition in Jigawa State,  members of the state House of Assembly have resolved to facilitate the allocation of N5 million to the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, SPHCDA, to support the programme.

File: A baby is tended to in an effort to stabilize him after he was admitted to a local hospital suffering from acute malnutrition The massive influx of people into Mogadishu and the rising number of cases of acute watery diarrhea in crowded urban areas places malnourished children at grave threat from cholera, which is a deadly and contagious disease,” UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said. AFP PHOTO

In a communiqué issued at the end of two-day sensitisation meeting with members of Jigawa State House of Assembly, the fund would be sourced from the legislature’s constituency project to support nutrition interventions immediately after discussion with due process and other relevant agencies.

It was further observed that deeper engagement with the state legislatures and SPHCDA will go a long way in fast-tracking nutrition budget appropriation.

Jigawa State (SPHCDA) expressed deep concerned with poor nutritional indices in the state as evidenced by National nutrition surveys.

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A recent report has revealed that Jigawa State is leading in the North-West with staunching case as 66 per cent of children under the age of five years suffered from malnutrition.

The state Technical and the Steering Committees on nutrition, according to the communiqué, should ensure that relevant MDAs create and release funds for nutrition in their individual budgets

The SPHCDA in a communiqué approached UNICEF to support in this engagement, which they graciously obliged, release and oversight at implementation level to curtail the menace of childhood malnutrition in the state.

Vanguard