LAGOS LEADS CHARGE AGAINST CHILD MALNUTRITION WITH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING INITIATIVE

… Moves to Equip Health Workers with Essential Nutrition Skills

… As Federal Ministry of Health, World Bank Support 10-Day Intensive Training to Combat Maternal and Child Malnutrition

The Lagos State Ministry of Health, with support from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has commenced an intensive Training Trainers programme on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) aimed at addressing the critical issue of malnutrition among mothers and young children. The training, which commenced on July 7 and will end on July 17, 2024, is being held at the Dover Hotel on Aromire Street, Ikeja.

Speaking during his visit to participants today, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye emphasised the importance of nutrition as a fundamental human right and a crucial determinant of good health. “Nutrition is not just about eating what is available but consuming foods with adequate nutrients that are readily available”, he stated.

Ogboye highlighted the alarming statistics from the State Reproductive and Child Health Survey conducted in 2022, which revealed that over one-third of children under five years old were stunted due to inadequate nutrition. He stressed the importance of the first 1,000 days of life as a critical window for ensuring appropriate growth and development through optimal feeding practices.

While emphasising that the current nutrition indices in Lagos State call for stakeholders’ collaboration, Dr. Ogboye acknowledged the continuous influx of people into Lagos and the resulting strain on the health system. He also shared the good news that Lagos State has approved the UNICEF Counterpart Funding on nutrition commodities and allocated a significant budget for nutrition in 2024.

The PS expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for their support and encouraged the media to give the MIYCN training the publicity it deserves. “This training will change the narrative of our nutrition indices in Lagos State”, he concluded.

The training of Trainers of Maternal, Infant and Young Child  Nutrition (MIYCN) aims to build the capacity of 60 trainers in Lagos State, who will, in turn, train health workers at primary and secondary health facilities on MIYCN services. This initiative is part of a broader national effort endorsed by the 64th National Council on Health to reduce malnutrition rates across Nigeria. The programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Bank ANRiN Project.

The training programme is expected to significantly enhance the capacity of health workers to provide accurate information and support to households, mothers, and caregivers on optimal nutrition practices, ultimately contributing to the reduction of malnutrition rates and the improvement of national nutrition indices.