NUTRITIONISTS CHARGE FG TO ADDRESS MALNUTRITION

Senior Advisor, Global Alliance on Improved Nutrition, Dr. Tina Van den Briel, has called on the Federal Government to implement policies and programmes that will address malnutrition among children and mothers in the country.

Van den Briel made this call at the 43rd conference of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, in Calabar, where stakeholders gathered to discuss the evidence, implications and priority actions for improved nutrition in Nigeria, based on the recently released Lancet Series report on nutrition.

A global report by The Lancet, in May, estimated that about 10 million children in Nigeria were stunted. In the study, Nigeria was also the second country with the highest population of malnourished children in the world after India.

Van den Breil noted that these figures reiterate the need for Nigerian government to have high level political champions who would fight for better nutrition for women and children.

She said it was high time that FG translated its commitment on policy papers to substantial budgetary allocation to tackle malnutrition.

She said, “If you look at Nigeria, it is one of the 34 countries with 90 per cent global burden of malnutrition.  In this country you have 10 million children who are still stunted. To improve child nutrition, maternal nutrition is the entry point. We need better integration of nutrition specific and sensitive interventions.”

To improve the nutritional status of Nigerians, Unilever Nutrition and Health Manager for West Africa, Dr. Victor Ajieroh stated that food manufacturing companies in the country have a crucial role to play by making nutrients fortified food available to the public.

Ajieroh said private food companies must continue to support the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the promotion of dietary diversification, consumption of bio-fortified foods and other nutrition-sensitive interventions.

Meanwhile, the West and Central Africa regional coordinator and Senior Advisor, International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, Dr. John Egbuta, called for the quick establishment of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria.

Egbuta said apart from strengthening nutritional activities by government agencies, development partners and the private sector, the council, when established, would be charged with the enforcement of the national legislation on mandatory food fortification with iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin A and iodine.