The Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has raised concerns about the continued cut in the supply of Read to Use Therapeutic Food, an essential supplement that treats severe wasting in under-five children, in hospitals across Bauchi State.
Malnutrition remains a threat survival of under-five children in Bauchi. The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey pegged the rate of stunting in Bauchi State at 46%, wasting 9.5%, underweight 28.2% and overweight 0.5 %.
The secretary of CS-SUNN Bauchi Chapter, Dabis Mwalike disclosed this in a press conference marking the 10th anniversary of CS-SUNN at FAcE-PaM office.
Read: Despite UNICEF’s intervention, Bauchi malnourished children suffer stock out in RUTF
Read: Despite Losing Many Children To Malnutrition, Bauchi Underspends On Therapeutic Food
She said oftentimes, RUTF disbursement centres run out of stock of the commodity amid the growing demand for it.
Mwalike said while awareness has been created among nursing mothers babying malnourished children on the need to visit designated centres, the epileptic RUTF supply distorts the administration of the supplement which has to be taken consistently to get the desired effects.
“CS-SUNN pursues this lofty goal by engaging government and non-state actors to raise awareness, sustain commitment and actions to effectively tackle under-nutrition in Nigeria,” she said.
The Secretary said CS-SUNN taught women how to make Tom-Brown using local foods to substitute RUTF to protect more children from going malnourished.
She called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to support advocacy efforts to end malnutrition in Bauchi.
WikkiTimes recalls that in 2023, USAID donated about 17,500 cartons of RUTF to the Bauchi State government.
Northerners Speak on THE Nigerian Govt Electricity Tariff Increas
