Society advocates increased budgetary allocation for nutrition interventions

All levels of government in Nigeria have been urged to increase their budgetary allocations in 2017 for the implementation of National Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition interventions.
Prof. Ngozi Nnam, the Chairman, Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria made the plea at a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
Theme of the meeting is: “Understanding the Need for Media Advocacy for Maternal, Newborn and Child Nutrition in Nigeria.” Nnam said: “To address these poor nutrition indices, Nigeria has developed and launched a National Policy on Food and Nutrition in 2016.
“It provides an overarching framework, covering the multiple dimensions for food and nutrition improvement.
“A strategic plan of action is required to give effect to the policy.
“A coasted national strategic plan for nutrient spanning from 2014 to 2019 has been developed as the health plan component of the national food and nutrition policy.
“The total cost of implementing the strategic action plan for five years period is about N144 billion, an investment that will avert 890,000 stunting, among others.’’
She said that implementation of the action plan would in a long way avert 890,000 stunting in five years and save 123,000 lives annually.
Nnam said that investments in nutrition interventions at all levels would combat malnutrition, assist children to reach their full potential and advance economic development.
According to her, malnutrition is a condition that occurs when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amount or types of food and essential nutrients.
The chairman identified one of the major causes of malnutrition in the country as suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices due to ignorant on the right dietary requirement of children.
Nnam said that every single day Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year-old and 145 women of child bearing age.
She, however, said that the figures were responsible for the ranking of Nigeria as the second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortality rate in the world.
She said: “One of the major causes of malnutrition in Nigeria is suboptimal infant and young children feeding practices.
“Only 17 per cent of children of less than six months are exclusively breastfed, and complementary foods are not introduced in time fashion for all children.
“In all, only 10 per cent of children aged six to 23 months are fed appropriately based on recommended infant and young children feeding practices.”