Katsina Policy Makers, UNICEF Meet on Child Malnutrition
Katsina state government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday, met to develop sustainable solutions
to address child malnutrition challenges in the state.
Speaking at meeting, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari said it was regrettable that Nigeria was still been supported to address issues of malnutrition
when the country was supposed to be helping others in the sub region.
Masari noted that, Nigeria was duty bound to find ways to support itself as donors would not be around forever.
In her remarks, UNICEF Katsina Chief of field office, Padmavathi Yedla stressed the need for the state and UNICEF to work together to forge a common
ground on malnutrition in the state.
Represented by Zohra Nasir, Communication for Development Specialist, Padmavathi, added that UNICEF is ready to continue to support the state to change the narrative in the best interest of children in the state especially in
the areas of child survival and development.
The convener of the meeting and senior special assistant on development partners, Fatima Yusuf, said the meeting aimed
to enlighten top policy makers and members of the legislature as well as the traditional leaders on implications of poor nutritional indicators to the child and overall state development just as to solicit support of stakeholders to change attitudes with nutrition
issues in the state.
The meeting rounded up with a field visit to a Community Management of Acute Malnutrition/Out-patient center in Kaita Local Government where the policy makers saw severely malnourished children in a difficult situation. Some of the policy
makers broke into tears in sympathy of the difficult situation of some of the malnourished children they saw on first admission for treatment.
The members resolved to share a comprehensive report on the outcome of the meeting and field visit with the Governor for increased support to save the lives of malnourished children.
