UNICEF, Imo Govt Seek Enhanced Investment In Child Nutrition Fund

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for greater state investment in the Child Nutrition Fund to support the procurement of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and other essential nutrition commodities.

The organisation stressed that this would strengthen sustainability, unlock additional partner support and ensure continued access to life-saving nutrition interventions for women and children.

The Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, stated this at the opening of a   review and validation meeting of the Nutrition SBC Strategy for Imo State held in Owerri, the state capital.

The programme, which attracted permanent secretaries of ministries, development partners, representatives of MDAs, the academia and the media, was organised by the Imo State Ministry of Health, Imo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and UNICEF with support from Gates Foundation.

Relying on evidence which shows that MMS is a cost effective intervention that helps to reduce anaemia, low birth weight still births and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes, Mrs Chiluwe counselled that sustained success would require strong government ownership, coordinated implementation and increased domestic investment.

She commended the Imo State government and all stakeholders for their leadership and dedication to advancing the nutrition agenda, assuring that UNICEF would ever remain committed to supporting the state in building a healthier future for women, children and families.

The state commissioner for Health, Dr Chioma Egu, who declared the meeting open noted that nutrition remains the foundation of human critical development, stressing that without its adequacy especially during the critical first 1,000 days of life children are less likely to achieved their full physical and cognitive potential.

“Malnutrition continues to affect educational attainment, productivity, economic growth and the well-being of future generations and this is why today’s exercise is not only technical in nature but transformational in its purpose and expected impact, she stated”.

Dr Egu explained that the nutrition Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy across life cycle is a people-centred approved, aimed at helping individuals and families make health nutrition chances at every stage of life from pregnancy and infancy to childhood, adolescent, adulthood and old age.