…As CS-SUNN Appeals For More Investment In Nutrition
By IJEOMA UKAZU
Lagos State government has officially launched the State Policy on Food and Nutrition and the Multi-sectoral Strategic Plan of Action as a major landmark to combat malnutrition in the state.
Making this known during the launch in Lagos at Sheraton Hotel Ikeja, the State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Sam Egube said that only joint effort by all stakeholders can win the fight against malnutrition in Lagos state.
Egube said that, “This involves collaborating with the government to ensure that all citizens were food and nutrition secured in all households and communities as this would also help in addressing the challenges of malnutrition and extreme hunger across the state.”
He said, “Nutrition is a fundamental human right that all citizens are entitled to. It is not just about eating what is available, but eating good food with adequate nutrients. But despite the fact that there is enough food for everybody on earth, yet, malnutrition is still common and it is associated with millions of deaths globally every year.”
“This Policy and its multi-sectoral plan of action will strengthen synergy among public and private sectors, development partners, to collaborate and get involved in the implementation of activities towards eradicating malnutrition in Lagos state.”
Appealling for more investment in nutrition, the Acting Executive Secretary, Civil Society Scaling-up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, Mr Sunday Okoronkwo has urged the Lagos state government to close the N21 billion annual budget deficit required to treat Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM among children in the state.
According to him, “Adequate investment in nutrition enhances human capital and boosts shared responsibility revealing that, malnutrition shows itself in different forms which includes; stunting, wasting, over nutrition (obesity).”
Okoronkwo added that, “Early years set the life-long foundation for human capital. Adequate nutrition, early stimulation and caring environment in the 1000 day window is imperative for development, learning and future earning.”
Quoting the World Health Organisation, WHO he said , wasting is when children are too thin for their height and their immune systems weak, leaving them vulnerable to developmental delays, disease and possible death.
According to the National Demographic Health Survey, NDHS 2018 report, he said shows that 6.6 percent of under five children in Lagos were suffering from wasting.
He went on to say, “There were 4,910, 641 under five children in the state, with 324,102 suffering from severe wasting. The cost of treatment for severe wasting for a child had been estimated at $160 dollars (N65, 920), which includes the cost of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF, routine medicine, training, amongst others.”
Okoronkwo said that the amount to provide treatment for the total number of children suffering from SAM in the state was N21,364,803,840, noting that the current annual spending of Lagos State Ministry of Health was N60,100, 000, and the State Primary Health Care Board has only five million naira.
He stressed that the amount was inadequate and according to studies, children with SAM had seven months to either survive or die, due to their critical condition.
Okoronkwo said that immediate intervention was required to save the lives of more children, while calling on the private sector and philanthropists to increase funding and support government to bridge the gap on nutrition.
He however applauded the state government for the approval of the Food and Nutrition policy and Strategic Plan of Action, stressing that the effective implementation would boost the state’s nutrition indices.
According to the former Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria Lagos State Chapter, Prof. Oluwatosin Adu, said that the whole citizens of the state needed good nutrition to actively participate in various sectors.
He said, “Having a right plan would give direction to achieving the goal of every citizen being adequately nourished and productive, to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development, while saying that the plan would be effectively implemented to achieve the desired goal of eradicating all forms of malnutrition in Lagos state.
The highlight of the event was the unvailing of the Lagos State Food and Nutrition Policy and the Multi-sectoral Strategic Plan of Action.