Malnutrition: Nutritionist tasks parents on children’s hygiene, sanitation

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Nigeria has advised parents to maintain personal hygiene and water sanitation to prevent malnutrition among children. Ms Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field office, stated this on Monday while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of […]

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Nigeria has advised parents to maintain personal hygiene and water sanitation to prevent malnutrition among children.

Ms Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field office, stated this on Monday while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

She said access to portable water, improved sanitation and hygiene would prevent children from diseases.

She also called on parents to immunise their children against the childhood killer diseases in the interest of the health of their children.

According to her, lack of immunisation and personal hygiene were some of the underlying causes of malnutrition.

“You have to give the child specific immunisation vaccines that will prevent some of this preventable childhood diseases.

“As you do that, emphasis should also be on what we call water hygiene and personal sanitation, it is important for the child and even we the adult.

“The hygiene condition of the environment is very important, if not one can even introduce infection when preparing food.

“The toilet system and the environment should be clean all the time in the interest of our health and for the overall development of the country,” she said.

She said UNICEF was committed in tackling malnutrition in children in the country while soliciting for parents’ support and cooperation in that direction.

Ezeife said UNICEF had provided the Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to children free of charge in order to boost their health status and for the overall development of the country. (NAN)