UNICEF treats 1m children suffering from malnutrition in Nigeria

UNICEF has treated over one million children suffering from acute malnutrition in  Nigeria within the last six years, the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Chief Field Officer, Dr. Abdulai Kaikai has said. Dr. Kaikai made the disclosure in his keynote address during a Community Base Management  of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme/resource mobilization advocacy engagement […]

UNICEF has treated over one million children suffering from acute malnutrition in  Nigeria within the last six years, the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Chief Field Officer, Dr. Abdulai Kaikai has said.
Dr. Kaikai made the disclosure in his keynote address during a Community Base Management  of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme/resource mobilization advocacy engagement with policy makers from Gombe, Jigawa, Bauchi and Adamawa states in Dutse.
He said the implementation of CMAM in the country was not without problems, saying shortage of ‘Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic Food (RUTF) due to inadequate transport provisions has remained one of the biggest challenges.
 Others include poor treatment outcomes due to inadequate routine drugs, as well as limited coverage of intervention due to non procurement of RUTF by state governments.
He also corrected the impression created by a section of the media that UNICEF has spent N12  billion on procurement of essential drugs and micro-nutrients in Nigeria, saying the money was actually spent on RUTF in the last six years.