The Nasarawa State government on Friday launched a multi-sectoral action plan on food and nutrition to tackle issues of child and maternal mortality across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the event which was organised by the State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, Governor Abdullahi Sule explained that his administration became interested in proffering adequate solutions to the matter because the burden of malnutrition in the state was unacceptably high.
He added that the policy on food and nutrition would serve as a guide for the identification, design and implementation of the intervention activities across the various ministries and MDAs to ensure adequate nutrition and health of residents of the state.
Sule mentioned the ministries and MDAs to include the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning; Ministry of Information; State Emergency Management Agency, among others.
“As you are aware, malnutrition is critical to health as well as human development. It is imperative to improve the infant and maternal health, safer pregnancies and childbirths.
“It is for this reason that the state government will remain committed in strengthening the nutrition value chain because it plays an important role in the development of our bodies by making our immune systems stronger”, Governor Sule added.
While expressing optimism that malnutrition will soon be completely eradicated in the state, the governor commended the Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition for partnering with the government on the project.
On her part, the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Jane Amwe, commended the state government for initiating the plan of action to tackle malnutrition in the state, promising that UNICEF would give necessary assistance for the actualization of the project.
