Kano rates highest in malnutrition, as group canvasses support for balance diet

A Group, under the aegis of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has called on the Kano state government to step up efforts towards addressing malnutrition cases in the state as figures shows Kano has the highest number of malnutrition cases numbering about 1.4 million.

The group made the call during a round table dialogue, held in Kano in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aimed at bringing together all stakeholders to identify opportunities for financing nutrition, understand existing efforts by the State towards increasing domestic investment for nutrition and address nutrition emergency.

According to the CSO, Kano State records the highest number of stunted children with 1.4 million (out of 12 million in the country) a figure they say must be checked by the state government through the scale-up of CMAM, and increased budget line for nutrition in the state.

However, the group applauds the state government’s Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme, which has scale-up from Six (6) to Thirteen (13) LGAs (out of 44 LGAs)which has been the most devastating among children under-five and pregnant mothers, a propensity by the State Government to scale-up the interventions.

Malnutrition according to them, constitutes a serious setback to socio-economic development of the nation, and sustainable growth in Northern Nigeria cannot be achieved without prioritized attention to scale-up and sustain investment for nutrition.

Furthermore, that, while the Ministry of Planning and Budget prepares the budget, the State Ministry of Finance, particularly Treasury which has the sole mandate for release of nutrition funds should endeavour to do so on time.

In her remarks, Commissioner, Kano state ministry of Planning and Budget, Aisha Yusuf Jafar, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ali Sani, stressed that the state government is ever ready to collaborate with any development partner to pave way for effective implementation of nutrition policy and programs in the state.

She appealed that a vibrant and robust system that can catalyze the integration of the group and her ministry, be evolve as a coordinating Ministry, in targeting wider nutrition coverage as a key to reducing poor nutritional practices and improved knowledge of nutrition among the populace.

The CISLAC project which is tag; Influencing state and Federal Budget Processes for improved Nutrition Budget Allocation, release and accountability in Northern Nigeria, had in attendance, participants from the State House of Assembly, State ministry of Health, Budget and Planning, civil society groups, development partner and the media.