A conglomerate of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in Bauchi State have called for the establishment of a Community Base Management of Acute Malnutrition center in each ward of the country for the total eradication of the disease in the society.
The SCOs made the appeal during a live Radio discussion program organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) for political candidates of various political parties.
WikkiTimes reports that a review of activities of government agencies in Bauchi and Gombe states being supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF to fight malnutrition among under five children has shown that the two states have not released funds in 2018 as their counterpart contribution for the implementation of community management of acute malnutrition programme CMAM.
Based on the annual work plan of the primary health care development agencies of the two states, Bauchi state government approved 103 million Naira while Gombe granted approval for 248 million Naira respectively to maintain and scale up the CMAM sites in different communities.
However, as at the 30/11/2018 the two states were yet to release a kobo out of the 351 million Naira they pledged as their contributions to the programme.
The CSOs explained that establishing the centres will ensure access to healthcare services by women and their children.
The CSOs say malnutrition was capable of affecting the educational development of under age children in Nigeria.
The Organizations pointed out that in all the twenty Local Government areas of the state, only nine have Community Base Management for Acute Malnutrition, hence the need for the state government to look into the possibility of extending it to the remaining LGAs.
WikkiTimes observed that the current 39 CMAM sites being supported by UNICEF in the Bauchi and Gombe states were inadequate to cater for the number of children suffering from malnutrition, which has been described as the silent killer of under five children.
The Organizations said delay in the passage of budget is one of the factors responsible for the increased number of malnourished children in the state.
The candidates of P.R.P, N.N.P. and U.P.P for the Bauchi State House of Assembly in the forthcoming elections who were part of the radio program pledged to find lasting solution to malnutrition through improved access to primary healthcare services if given the opportunity.
