Local nutrition sources cut infant malnutrition in FCT – Official

Mrs. Naomi Iliya, the Focal Person for Routine Immunisation at the Primary Health Care Centre in Mabushi District, Abuja, says awareness campaigns on the use of locally available food sources have led to a significant drop in infant malnutrition cases in the FCT. Iliya stated this during a field visit by journalists undergoing training on […]

Mrs. Naomi Iliya, the Focal Person for Routine Immunisation at the Primary Health Care Centre in Mabushi District, Abuja, says awareness campaigns on the use of locally available food sources have led to a significant drop in infant malnutrition cases in the FCT.

Iliya stated this during a field visit by journalists undergoing training on Nutrition and Food Systems Reporting and Advocacy, an event organised by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Nigeria Health Watch on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said the sensitisation campaigns focused on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and the use of local food items to educate mothers on ways to improve child nutrition and health. (NAN)

 

According to her, the exercise was part of efforts to assess progress made in nutrition intervention programmes aimed at reducing under-five malnutrition and promoting healthy growth.

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She noted that mothers are now using millet, soybeans, groundnuts, and vegetables to prepare nutritious meals for their babies.

“Most of these women complain that the high cost of nutritious food was one of the causes of malnutrition amongst their children.

“So, we embarked on a massive sensitisation exercise to create awareness on alternative locally available food sources that should complement breastfeeding for babies above six months, while encouraging 0–6 months [babies] to be exclusively fed [breastfed],” she said. (NAN)