Enugu Govt Intensifies Actions Against Malnutrition 
Enugu state government has put all machinery in motion for the prevention of malnutrition related health challenges, especially, among children and mothers in the state.
Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, during a press briefing by the state committee on food and nutrition, the state commissioner for health, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, noted that surveys have shown the huge toll taken on children resulting in staunted growth, due to improper nutrition.
Obi disclosed that the health ministry has, in collaboration with the office of the first lady of the state, embarked on awareness creation among communities of the state to understand proper nutrition by “making use of what they have around them and provide proper nutrition”.
He said that government had activated all the MDAs involved, to fall in line of providing the needed nutrition education to the people while ” working towards reversing the staunting children and have nutritionally sound children and mothers in the state”.
“Government has, at different times, embarked on the distribution of food and medical materials to the people at designated locations as subsidy, to ease the burden of the hard times”, the commissioner emphasised.
Also, the permanent secretary, ministry of budget and planning, Clara Eze- said that the ministry was prepared to provide all the necessary ground for the actualisation of the target of nutritionally balanced children across the state.
She encouraged families to insist on cultural food with the potency of providing the needed nutrients, adding that ” a lot of sensitisation is required to achieve this and that is why we call on the media to assist in this regard”.
Giving more insight in the importance of good nutrition, the Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, chronicled what the state government had been doing to achieve good nutrition for the people.
“The state government under Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah believes that providing good nutrition is an investment in the future as nutritionally balanced children are children that move at the same pace with their counterparts elsewhere”.
She lamented the rate of staunted growth in the state due to malnutrition and observed that “such children are mentally limited and are exposed to infections”.
The representative of UNICEF in the state, Ngozi Onuora while commending the state government for its commitment to the issue of maternal and child health, advocated regular survey to determine the rate of nutrition related health challenges.
She warned against the health risk of malnutrition and encouraged families to ensure the minimum acceptable diet in their daily feeding pattern, adding that “UNICEF is prepared to offer the state, required support and partnership coordination to achieve its objective of increasing the indices of nutrition and health”.
Also, the representative of the wife of the governor, Uzoamaka Okenwa-Uzoechina, explained that the first lady was fully dedicated to all issues affecting the lives of mothers and children.
She expressed confidence that the committee would be able to achieve the set target, noting that “this is the first time we are having round peg in round hole and square peg in square hole”.
The press briefing was part of activities preparatory to this year’s Maternal Newborn and Child Health week, which commences Wednesday, 26/6/24.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
