Minna
Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Niger state has called on the state government to deploy nutrition personnel to primary healthcare centres across the 25 local government areas of the state to check cases of malnutrition.
The CSOs under the auspices, Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) made the call in Minna after a two-day meeting aimed at harmonising nutrition and health issues across the benefiting states.
The State Coordinator PINNS, Mr. Felix Igba said for malnutrition to be brought under control, the state government should ensure that at all Primary Healthcare Care facilities have a nutritionist or health personnel.
He said that such officials should be trained to enable them undertake services bordering on nutrition,
Felix said:“Even if the government cannot employ staff to man the PHCs, we have focal facilities in each local government areas who should have at least a trained nutritionist to provide the needed services to reduce malnutrition indices across the state.”
“We are also calling on the government to ensure that funds allocated to nutrition activities are released and in good time.
“We are having these indices because of lack of funds and inadequate nutrition personnel and lack of funds for the line Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to solve the problem, especially among the low income people in the state.
Speaking earlier, the Niger State Nutrition Officer (SNO), Hajiya Asmau Mohammed, expressed concern over the issue of malnutrition in the state and stressed the need for urgent steps taking to change the narrative for improved results.
Mohammed called on well meaning indigenes of the state and corporate organisationsto support the state government in curtailing malnutrition, especially among the rural dwellers in the state.
She said:“The fight against malnutrition does not involve the government alone.
“Parents are also responsible for these unpleasant malnutrition indices but the state government has decided to take it up because it cannot close its hands and continue to look at the situation.
“We are trying to come up with so many angles to address the rising cases of malnutrition.”
