The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Monday that approximately 400,000 children in Adamawa communities are in urgent need of nutritional treatment.
During a two-day workshop focused on legislative action and commitment to nutrition, held in Yola and organized by the Adamawa Planning Commission with UNICEF’s support, Nuzhat Rafique, the chief of the UNICEF field office in Bauchi, highlighted that nearly 50% of children in the state are affected by chronic malnutrition. She emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding as a crucial measure for improvement.
Rafique noted that UNICEF has been providing nutritional supplements to Adamawa and urged collaborative efforts to combat the ongoing malnutrition crisis.
Bathiya Wesley, the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, expressed the assembly’s commitment to advancing legislative measures and policies aimed at enhancing the nutritional welfare of children in Adamawa. Represented by Kate Mamuno, the assembly’s majority leader, Wesley affirmed the program’s relevance and necessity.
“We in the assembly will ensure that these policies are prioritized, enabling our children to benefit from nutrition programs,” Wesley stated. “We are prepared to legislate these initiatives for the betterment of children in Adamawa.”
Philomena Irene, a nutrition specialist at UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, explained that the meeting’s goal was to explore strategies for strengthening multi-sectoral approaches to nutrition investment. She emphasized the importance of fostering partnerships among the legislature, government agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations.
Mary Padinga, chair of the Adamawa Planning Commission, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its support to the state government, noting that the efforts being made are strategic and aimed at establishing robust policies with legislative support to combat malnutrition effectively. Padinga expressed confidence that the state assembly would provide the necessary legal backing for these initiatives.
(NAN)
