By Sani Yarima 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is dedicated to reaching at least 350 million children and women annually by 2030 to address the issue of malnutrition. 

Philomena Irene, the Nutrition Specialist of UNICEF in the Bauchi Field Office, shared this during a presentation at the Media Dialogue organized for 65 journalists in the northeast, held on Thursday, May 16th, 2024 at the Emerald Hill Hotel in Gombe State, Nigeria.

She mentioned that the dialogue aimed to share ideas and strategize on advocating for more government investment in preventing malnutrition and highlighting the young child nutrition indicators in the region. 

The discussion also aimed to understand the role of complementary feeding in child nutrition, as well as the Child Nutrition Fund established by UNICEF alongside some donors.

“We are committed to reaching at least 350 million children under the age of 5 years and women, particularly those who are pregnant or breastfeeding every year by 2030,” Irene stated.

Furthermore, Philomena Irene revealed that one out of every four children suffers from acute malnutrition, while four out of every child suffering from moderate malnutrition is likely to experience chronic malnutrition within a year. 

She also disclosed that the issue of chronic malnutrition has reached an alarming rate in Nigeria, pointing out that a total of 1.3 million children were treated in 2023, compared to 400,000 children treated in 2022. 

She emphasized that the number would continue to increase if urgent steps were not taken to prevent the menace.

According to the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Bauchi State Field Office, Philomena Irene, UNICEF has redesigned its strategy by focusing more on prevention rather than the treatment of malnutrition cases, adding that the organization cannot do it alone. 

She urged the state governments in Nigeria to access the $3.4 billion Child Nutrition Funds (CNF) to address the problem of acute and chronic malnutrition prevalent across the nation.

She revealed that only four out of the thirty-six states of the federation had so far accessed the Fund. 

She explained that states are expected to contribute a minimum of 100 million naira as counterpart funds, which would be matched by the CNF, noting that it could be more than that.

Meanwhile, participants are expected to go on a field trip to some Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in Kaltungo LGA of Gombe State and also focus on key issues, as well as in-depth reporting in their various states.

Finally, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, Philomena Irene, also spoke on the topic “Improving Young Children’s Diets during the Complementary Feeding period of six to twenty-three (6-23) months” and highlighted eight recommended food groups, including breast milk, grains, roots, tubers, and plantains, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds, among others.

By Sani Adamu Hassan

Bauchi state government through the state ministry of health has reveal it’s plan to continue collaborating with the Organise labor and the state head of civil service to increase the retirement years of healthcare workers in the state.

It also reveal it plan to engage about 150 volunteers into the civil service in each local government Area of the state to improve the healthcare system.

The state commissioner of health Dr Adamu Umar Sambo stated this during commemoration of world health workers week 2024 Organise by the ministry in collaboration with USAID Health Workforce Management HWM in Bauchi.

Dr Adamu Sambo added that the state government is determining to transforming the healthcare system through organizing a Health summit as well as declaring state of emergency on health.

He stated that the state government is determining to provide good atmosphere to healthcare workers by improving their renumeration, while stressing the need on stakeholders in the health sector to play their role on repositioning the system.

In his address, the state Co-ordinator USAID Health Workforce Management Robert Bature said that the United Nations agency international development is determined to support the training institution by enhancing the capacity of students as well as improving their performance among others.

In their goodwill message, the advisor on health to Bauchi State Governor Adamu Babayo Gabarin, representative from the Organise labor Comrade Ibrahim Maikudi and the representative from Advancing nutrition in Nigeria Madam Lois pledges their total support to the state government in it’s effort to reposition the health sector in the state.

The theme for this year’s World health workers week 2024 is ” Invest in pre-service health training institution”.

An Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN) Bauchi State with the support of Nigerian Women Trust Fund has raised awareness among young women and boys to end Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the Society.

Mr Joel Timothy, AONN Secretary and facilitator during a sensitization forum at the National Veterinary Research Institute Bauchi and Dass local government area on Monday, urged the youth to voice out.

He explained that Gender-based violence (GBV) is violence committed against a person because of his or her sex or gender.

“It is forcing another person to do something against his or her will through violence, coercion, threats, deception, under age marriage, female circumcision, cultural expectations, or economic means

Timothy also urged young women and youth to be catalysts for change, and ask salient questions that can further improve the quality of life for young women, youth and human rights.

“Speak up against Domestic Violence, Female Gender Mutilation, Emotional and Verbal Abuse, inequality and poor representation during policy formulation.

“Women are susceptible to a lot because culture and religion make it difficult for women to ask questions that can liberate them.

“Seek professional help or talk to someone you trust, confide in them, healing comes from sharing,” he said.

On her part, Mrs Celine Jakaw Executive Director, Bauchi Community Oriented Initiative stressed the need for vulnerable individuals in the society to be protected.

““There are levels to GBV, there’s physical violence, emotional violence, sexual violence and psychological and mental violence.

“We need to focus on the crime and stop shaming victims of these crimes.
“Law enforcement agencies need reorientation; shame is one of the tools the society uses to silence victims,” she said.

Jakaw urged the young women and boys to educate their families and friends, in the case of rape and that gathering evidence played more important role than emotions.

Also speaking, Dr Yakubu Atuman, Director of the Veterinary Research Institute Dr appreciated AONN coming up such initiative to sensitize the students on menaces of gender based violence

He called on AONN to come again with the same initiative saying there are many forms of GBV that the community doesn’t know that are violations, he mentioned them as economic, sexual, words, expression, violence etc.

“Sensitization and awareness campaigns are very impactful in the society, it will change the attitude of the community, Atuman said.

In Dass, Mr Sunusi Yakubu, Social Welfare Orphans and Vulnerable desk officer, stressed the need to stand against Sexual and gender based violence in Dass communities as a result of prevalent cases and incidents in Dass.

Another Participants in Dass, Rauta Joseph Executive Director, Zabia Ruth Foundation encourage the participants to continue with awareness creation and sensitization on sexual and gender Based violence in order to combat, report and response to it whenever it happens.