The Lagos State Government has joined forces with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to train at least 60 healthcare professionals in maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.
This collaborative effort aims to address the pressing issue of malnutrition in the state and country, with the support of the World Bank’s Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria Project.
Nigeria’s malnutrition statistics are alarming, ranking highest in Africa and second globally, according to UNICEF. The organization reports that 12 million children under five suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition, which can increase their risk of death by 12 times if left untreated.
The Director of the Nutrition Department, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, emphasized the preventive approach of the workshop, which focuses on equipping healthcare workers to address malnutrition in pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under five.
The World Bank-funded project is being implemented across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to combat malnutrition and reduce its devastating impact on infant mortality.
Through this training, the government aims to reduce the high infant mortality rate linked to malnutrition, providing a brighter future for Nigeria’s children.
Bako-Aiyegbusi said, “We expect that frontline health workers and the community in general, will have basic knowledge of adequate appropriate maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, and adolescent nutrition.
“Part of the specific objective of the workshop is to improve health workers’ counselling skills on maternal and child nutrition and how to get appropriate information from parents to improve their nutrition.”
According to her, nutrition counseling empowers mothers and caregivers to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to enhance their own nutrition and that of their children.
This includes guidance on the suitable types, variety, and quantities of food necessary to meet their dietary needs. The training also equipped health workers with strategies to enhance the effectiveness and reach of maternal and child nutrition counseling.
Dr. Folashade Oludara, Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, emphasized that if left unaddressed, stunting can lead to irreversible brain damage in children by the age of two, resulting in permanent cognitive impairment. She stressed that once a child’s brain is damaged, there is little possibility of recovery.
She mentioned, “So we are trying to change this narrative and ensure that none of our children (before they clock the age of two) has malnutrition and do not get stunted to the level that their brain will be irreversibly damaged.
“The objective of the training is to improve Nigeria’s nutritional indices in the state just as we know that right now, there’s food insecurity everywhere and the major group of the community affected are the mothers and children.
“Mothers especially when they are pregnant and children especially when they are under the age of five. So what we are doing today is to intensify the efforts, to improve the efforts of our health workers in providing correct information to the caregivers or pregnant women on the type of nutrition, food or diet that they are supposed to take.”
She explained that the training will emphasize utilizing locally sourced foods to fulfill daily nutritional needs at all levels.
Additionally, Olawumi Ajayi, State Coordinator of FHI 360 Alive & Thrive Lagos, stated that their organization remains committed to developing sustainable solutions that positively impact lives and health outcomes worldwide.
“We believe that through collaboration and continuous learning, we can make significant strides in combating malnutrition and promoting health and well-being for mothers and children in Nigeria and beyond.
“FHI 360 Alive & Thrive is honored to support Lagos State Ministry of Health on this training and we believe it will go a long way in improving the nutrition situation in the state”, Ajayi highlighted.
