No fewer than 20 Local Government Areas in Oyo State are set to benefit from a United States-funded nutrition intervention programme supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to combat malnutrition among children and nursing mothers.
The initiative, targeted at the prevention of malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, was unveiled during an inception meeting with state and local government stakeholders as well as the inauguration of Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition in the selected councils.
Speaking at the event, UNICEF Nutrition Manager, Sumit Khan, said the programme is aimed at improving nutrition among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under two years of age who have been described globally as the most vulnerable group in nutrition interventions.
According to him, the first 1,000 days of life remain critical to a child’s physical growth, brain development, learning ability and overall wellbeing.
“UNICEF works to ensure that pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under two are prioritized because this period provides the best window of opportunity to improve a child’s growth and development,” he said.
Khan explained that the one-year intervention, funded by the United States Government, would focus on scaling up high-impact nutrition interventions, especially preventive measures against malnutrition.
He added that the programme would support improved breastfeeding practices, better complementary feeding and enhanced nutrition education for mothers across the benefiting local governments.
Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, disclosed that the state had recorded improvements in tackling chronic malnutrition, particularly stunting among children.
She revealed that the prevalence of stunting dropped from 34.7 per cent before 2023 to 23.4 per cent following intensified nutrition-related interventions by the state government.
However, she expressed concern over the rising rate of acute malnutrition, also known as wasting, which she said had increased to 14.4 per cent.
Ajetunmobi stressed the need to strengthen infant and young child feeding practices, noting that poor nutrition habits among mothers contribute significantly to malnutrition among children.
She emphasized the importance of early breastfeeding initiation immediately after birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and improved complementary feeding after six months.
The commissioner further disclosed that the programme would introduce Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQLNS) for children between six months and two years to boost their nutritional intake.
According to her, the supplements were procured by the United States Government in collaboration with UNICEF to help address nutrient deficiencies among children.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, described the grant as a major boost to the state’s efforts to reverse malnutrition trends.
He noted that the intervention would help improve key nutrition indicators, especially stunting and general malnutrition among children under five years.
Olatunji disclosed that nutrition supplements had already been distributed across local governments for children within the targeted age bracket.
He also revealed that the state government had committed over $230 million toward the procurement of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) through UNICEF to support maternal and child health.
The Executive Secretary added that Oyo State earned the grant due to its impressive performance in previous nutrition interventions, describing it as “a reward for performance.”
He further stated that the state recently recruited 40 nutrition specialists who would be deployed across local government areas to manage and sustain the programme effectively.
According to him, the initiative would not only improve the health and cognitive development of children but also contribute to the long-term socio-economic growth of the state and the country at large.
In his remark, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Chairman in Oyo State, Hon. Sikiru Sanda, pledged the commitment of local government authorities to ensure accountability and fairness in the distribution of the nutritional supplements to communities captured under the intervention programme.
