Anambra First Lady Launches Instant Baby Food To Tackle Malnutrition

Dr. Nonye Soludo, wife of Anambra State’s governor, launched “Nonye Healthy Living Pap”, a natural baby food, to address child malnutrition.

At the unveiling in Awka, she explained that the initiative targets children with special nutritional needs and aims to mitigate malnutrition.

The project, under the “Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative”, supports government policies and complements primary healthcare delivery, including nutritional security and exclusive breastfeeding campaigns.

Anambra State has shown improvement in its nutritional index, outperforming other states, with steady growth in nutrition profile and notable trends in meeting nutritional needs, thanks to investments in healthcare and attention to primary healthcare delivery.

The state’s nutrition profile has consistently improved over the years, demonstrating positive trends in nutritional needs compared to other states in the Southeast Zone.

She mentioned, “Months ago before this idea was conceptualised, I had finished receiving a delegation from UNICEF. The central focus of that meeting was about tackling malnutrition among children in Anambra State.

“The revelations from UNICEF, alongside a valid will to make a difference, spurred us into action. Anambra State is known for her strong leadership presence in almost every national rating. Today, we are here to continue in that line of history, this time for a course that matters so much to humanity and that is nutrition.

“As an NGO that is basically self-funded, ‘Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative’ took up this challenge, knowing at the back of our minds that we can actually make a long-term difference with the little effort.

“Over the few years, statistics suggest that Anambra State has made substantial progress in addressing nutritional challenges and now performs better than the other states in the Southeast zone in these key areas. The state has also made significant progress in that regard over the past two years.”

She equally Emphasized that at the core of the crusade is the revered philosophy that healthy living is a primary option for human existence, adding that “healthy living is not just a choice”, but an inevitable option for a society that aims to move.

She said, “An unhealthy society is most likely to be unproductive and non-existent. The first on the ladder is Nutrition. Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to launch ‘Nonye’s Healthy Living Pap’ and introduce this natural formula into the state’s mitigation programme for malnutrition.

“Nonye’s Healthy Living Pap is a pure natural meal that contains basic dietary nutrients to help children who are dealing with acute or minor malnutrition. The meal is made up of three special ingredients, namely: groundnut, corn, and soya beans, which are rich in carbohydrates, healthy fats, fibre, protein and zinc. The Pap also boasts nutritional benefits like vitamins B1, B2, B3, and iron.

“The idea behind this journey is to rescue our children with special nutritional needs. Ours is only a complementary step that supports existing strategic government policies. In the medium term, we want to move from our present second spot as the state with the lowest number of ‘Under-five mortality’ to the first position and maintain the spot for as long as it takes.

“We are very close. In driving a commitment that thinks inclusiveness, we want to ensure that our children are saved from the threats of diseases aggravated by poor nutrition. Aware of the prevalent protein deficiency among children in Nigeria caused by accessibility, availability and affordability of food items, including protein sources, we want to close the gap by providing all-round, effective intervention for homes and communities.”

Attendees at the event included women and community representatives from all 21 local government areas of the state, as well as leaders from the Yoruba and Hausa communities.

Hajia Khadijat Olahan, Women Leader of the Yoruba community and Muslim Women in Anambra, praised Nonye Soludo’s initiative, stating that it would address nutritional gaps and ensure the continued health and well-being of children.