UNICEF wants enhanced investment in child nutrition fund to support procurement of MMS
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advised for greater state investment in the Child Nutrition Fund to support the procurement of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and other essential nutrition commodities.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advised for greater state investment in the Child Nutrition Fund to support the procurement of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and other essential nutrition commodities.
This would strengthen sustainability unlock additional partner support and ensure continued access to life saving nutrition interventions for women and children.
Juliet Chiluwe, chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, said at the opening of a three-day “Review and Validation” meeting of the “Nutrition, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategy” for Imo State held in Owerri, the state capital.
The programme which attracted permanent secretaries of ministries, development partners, representatives of MDAs, academia and the media was organised by the Imo State Ministry of Health, Imo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and UNICEF with support from Gates Foundation.
Relying on evidence which showed that MMS is a cost-effective intervention that helps to reduce anaemia, low birth weight still births and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes, Juliet Chiluwe counselled that sustained success would require strong government ownership, coordinated implementation and increased domestic investment.
She commended the Imo State Government and all stakeholders for their leadership and dedication to advancing the nutrition agenda, assuring that UNICEF would ever remain committed to supporting the state in building a healthier future for women, children and families.
Chioma Egu, Imo State commissioner for Health, who declared the function open, noted that nutrition remained the foundation of human critical development, stressing that without its adequacy especially during the critical first 1,000 days of life children are less likely to achieved their full physical and cognitive potential.
“Malnutrition continues to affect educational attainment, productivity, economic growth and the well-being of future generations and this is why today’s exercise is not only technical in nature but transformational in its purpose and expected impact,” she stated.
Egu explained that the nutrition Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy across life cycle is a people-centred approved, aimed at helping individuals and families make health nutrition chances at every stage of life from pregnancy and infancy to childhood, adolescent, adulthood and old age.
This strategy according to her promotes good nutrition practices such as proper maternal nutrition, exclusive breast feeding, appropriate complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation, healthy eating habits, hygiene and timely utilization of health services.
Through community engagement advocacy, counselling, interpersonal communication and strategic partnerships the commissioner disclosed that the strategy seeks to improve awareness, encourage positive behaviour change and create supportive environment where families could thrive saying “ultimately, it is designed to reduce malnutrition, improve health outcomes and enhance the overall wellbeing and quality of life of the people of the state”.
She commended Governor Hope Uzodinma for his commitment to strengthening the health sector and for improving the well-being of the people of the state.
