Child malnutrition:Jigawa treats 57,000 cases
The Jigawa State Government said it has treated 57, 657 cases of acute child malnutrition in the state in 2017.
Mr Magaji Ahmed, Nutrition Officer of the state, made this revelation at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office end of year review on Tuesday in Jos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office covers six states of Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Jigawa and Gombe.
“Jigawa state with support of UNICEF achieved a milestone in its efforts to stem down the incidence of acute malnutrition in children in the state.
“In the year under review, we admit and treated 57, 657 cases of acute child malnutrition in the various Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres across the state.
“These figures represent 86 per cent of our total projection for the year.
“We also recorded 0.3 per cent death rate in this regard and 15 per cent defaulting rate’’, he said.
The Nutrition Officer also said the 886, 000 children were dewormed and 71,235 women were sensitised to issues of child mortality in 2017.
Earlier, the Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Abdulai Kaikai, commended the state government for supporting the fight against child malnutrition in the state.
He, however, added that a lot needed to be done in order to eradicate malnutrition in children, noting that government and other relevant stakeholders should breast up.
NAN reports that the 2017 end year review meeting brings to climax UNICEF 4-year strategic plan which began in 2014. (NAN)
