Mrs Ramatu Haruna, the Kaduna State’s Nutrition Officer (SNO), says that interventions by Alive & Thrive have improved the state’s exclusive breastfeeding indices.
Haruna spoke on thursday at the closeout of the FHI360 Alive & Thrive project in Kaduna. She said that the latest survey conducted in 2021 showed an increase in exclusive breastfeeding to 41%, up from 19.9% in the last survey.
Haruna said that the rise was a result of Alive & Thrive’s efforts in accelerating the Scale of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) in Kaduna and Nigeria in general. Alive & Thrive is a global nutrition effort that works to improve the health and wellbeing of women, children, and adolescents through evidence-based approaches.
This, she said, was a great achievement to Kaduna State.
“The impact of Alive and Thrive in Kaduna,
it has helped our pregnant mothers and our children to thrive in good health.
“The major activity that they engaged was accelerating the implementation of MIYCN, which cuts across the life cycle of every individual.
It has also helped to improve our indices,”she said.
The SNO said a sustainability plan has been developed, considering the good work that Alive & Thrive have done to the state, which would not be allowed to go down the drain.
“A sustainability plan has been developed across the 23 local governments
to ensure that the the plan is followed holistically.
“Having the nutrition budget line across the 23 local governments in Kaduna, it will really help. If these funds are being cashed back at the local government level, the plan will be sustained,”she said.
Earlier, the State’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, expressed gratitude to Alive & Thrive for its partnership and impact on MIYCN in the state.
Ahmed, represented by Dr Maryam Apanpa, Deputy Director, Medical Services of the ministry, said that the organisation’s support had led to improvements in knowledge, practices, and services, ultimately saving lives and giving children a healthier start in life.
She highlighted the significant contributions made by Alive & Thrive in supporting Kaduna State with multiple micronutrient supplementation, strengthening the nutrition program and aligning with the state’s goal of reducing maternal and child mortality.
Ahmed appreciated Alive & Thrive for their partnership, dedication, and impact, and assured that the state would continue to build on the foundation laid and sustain the gains made.
She emphasised the state’s commitment to ensuring that every mother and child in Kaduna has access to the nutrition and care they deserve, and looked forward to continued collaboration with partners.
The state Team Lead of Alive & Thrive, Mrs Sarah Kwasu, said the initiative works with governments, civil society, and community actors to strengthen nutrition systems and practices, managed by FHI 360 and supported by the Gates Foundation.
Kwasu lamented that Nigeria struggles to meet global nutrition targets, with high anemia rates, low exclusive breastfeeding rates, and poor dietary diversity among children.
She stated that malnutrition contributes significantly to child mortality and adverse maternal health outcomes, necessitating urgent action.
Kwasu equally said the initiative focused on scaling up MIYCN and Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) interventions across seven states.
“It supports governments and local partners to deliver high-quality maternal nutrition and infant and young child feeding services.
“The initiative expands delivery of maternal nutrition interventions, including multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women.
“It strengthens health systems through training and mentoring health providers on counseling skills and develops a national MMS training package,”she said.
The coordinator explained that community engagement increased awareness and demand for MIYCN and MMS services through community-based organisations and traditional leaders.
She said the initiative support governments in strengthening nutrition policies, financing, and regulatory frameworks, thanking the Kaduna state government and other stakeholders for their support.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that development partners and stakeholders at the event included NAFDAC, UNICEF, CS-SUNN, ANRiN project, the state’s Planning and Budget Commission, Nutrition Focal Persons, Ward Development Committee, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Health Secretaries, among others.
The stakeholders shared experiences and testimonies, highlighting the positive impact of nutrition initiatives on communities.
They spoke of improved health outcomes, increased awareness, and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders
