UNICEF scales up fight against child wasting, urges more investments by govts
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has scaled up the fight against child wasting and called on state governments across Nigeria to invest more in the area in order to secure a generation of children.
The call was made during a media dialogue on age appropriate complimentary feeding for children aged 6 – 23 months organized by UNICEF in Gombe State on Thursday.
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In her presentation, a nutrition specialist, UNICEF Bauchi field office, Philomena Irene said the renewed interest in complimentary feeding for children aged 6 – 23 months stems from the fact that data has shown that the situation is growing from bad to worse in Nigeria.
She noted that a significant success has been achieved in the area of exclusive breastfeeding adding that another big challenge facing Nigerian children is wasting which occurred between the age of 6 – 23 months of life.
Irene noted that malnutrition starts very early in life which occurs at an alarming rate noting that data has also shown that child wasting has grown from 400,000 to 1.3 million in two years which by every standard was unacceptable.
She added that the issue has become even frightening because for every case of severely malnourished child, there are four moderately malnourished children who are also at the risk of going severely malnourished and wasted.
Irene added that in order to change the tide, UNICEF alongside partners is committed to reach no fewer than 350 million children yearly till 2030.
She added that to achieve that, a child nutrition fund (CNF) with an estimated financing need of $3.4bn per year has been floated urging state governments to contribute their quota in accessing the fund for the benefit of saving lives of children.
The nutrition specialist said the CNF led by UNICEF with support from the UK, the children’s investment fund foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and other partners are backing a coordinated global agenda and action plan to end child wasting noting that the CNF brings together govt, donors and partners to support and incentivised country led efforts to support sustainable policies and programs to prevent, detect treat and ultimately end child wasting.
She added that UNICEF’s major aim is the prevention of child wasting as treatment is usually difficult and cost effective.
Irene added that in order to strengthen child nutrition and prevent wasting, UNICEF has piloted an action plan called Progressing Action on Resilient System for Nutrition Through Innovation and Partnership (PARNSNIP) in Gombe which has yielded substantial results in nipping wasting in the selected areas the project was implemented.
Also in his presentation, Opeyemi Olagunju, the commutations officer, UNICEF Bauchi field office, noted that the aim of the dialogue is to proffer solutions to the menace of wasting noting that prevention is always better than treatment.
He noted that it is also organized to highlight the child nutrition indicators in the region and to advocate for more government investment in preventing child wastage. He also noted that the dialogue will open journalists a window to understand the role of complimentary feeding in children’s development and also acquaints them with the operations of CNF floated by UNICEF alongside some donors as a strategic approach for governments to end child wasting.
Olagunju urged journalists to provide localized and in depth reportage that will lead to more funding, awareness creation and will prod the governments to take decisive and proactive actions to end child wasting in the region.
