Gombe State Government has trained 200 women and 300 secondary school students on the production of anti-malnutrition food known as Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the state.
The State, through the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation and that of Education, produced the RUTF tagged ‘Garin Inuwa’ for distribution to about 2,000 children selected across the state to address acute malnutrition.
WikkiTimes reports that a Médecins Sans Frontières report showed that at least 51 per cent of children in the state are malnourished and stunted.
Deputy governor of the state, Manasseh Daniel Jatau, flagged off the distribution of the complementary foods on Saturday at the Education Resource Centre, Gombe (ERC).
He explained that the initiative was a step towards eradicating malnutrition among children in the state.
The deputy governor emphasised the importance of good feeding for children, particularly at the infant and toddler stage, to ensure they grow healthy and thrive.
He said the state government was committed to eradicating malnutrition among children, charging women to learn how to produce complementary foods, not only to feed their children but also to teach others.
The state commissioner for education, Aishatu Maigari, explained that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation produced the complementary foods, while the Ministry of Education trains women and students on how to prepare them.
According to her, the trained women and students are encouraged to collectively help to end child malnutrition in the state.
