The Gombe State government, in collaboration with UNICEF, has procured 5,830 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat 6,529 Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children in the state.
According to UNICEF, malnutrition has been on the increase in Nigeria, driven mostly by conflict, which is forcing displacement as well as an upswing in food insecurity, caused by limited food accessibility and affordability in the country.
Speaking during the handover of the RUTF to the State government in Gombe, the UNICEF’s Chief of Bauchi Field Office (BFO), Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, disclosed that the state also has a high burden of malnutrition, with about 51% of the State’s children stunted while 8.8% are wasted.
She further stated that 64% of pregnant women in the state are suffering from anaemia while over 80% of the children in the state suffer from child food poverty.
However, Rafique commended the state government for the release of funds under the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), which has led to the procurement of the RUTF, which was handed over to the government, as well as the successful completion of two rounds of the 2024 Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) weeks in the state.
“We urge the state government to release even more resources in 2025, which UNICEF will also match to procure more commodities through the CNF. It will be beneficial to women and children in the state if we can work together to conduct two rounds of MNCHWs in 2025 and procure deworming tablets in sufficient quantities to reach all children 12-59 months in the state,” she stressed.
Receiving the commodity on behalf of the government, the state’s Deputy Governor, Manasseh Daniel Jatau, disclosed that the partnership has enabled the State to double its investment in essential nutrition commodities, adding that the procurement of the RUTF is a testament to the state’s leadership in nutrition and health matters.
According to him, over the years, the Gombe State government has consistently released funds, delivered services, and maintained a strong partnership to address malnutrition in the northeast State.
