The distribution of 21 metric tonnes of Tom Brown, a highly nutritious food supplement by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria has excited nursing mothers and others in Sokoto state.
The Newsmen reports that the prepared food was for children aged between 6 to 59 months aimed at promoting health wellness of malnourished children.
The targetted children included those recently discharged from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centers.
The Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), Dr Larai Tambuwal, described the intervention as life saving initiative which would further argument state government commitments on healthcare services.
Larai underscored the importance of good food to infants and growing children showcasing the difference between healthy child having quality nutritional food and that of of malnourished ones.
She explained that those malnourished children were vulnerable to diseases and other outbreaks while healthy chicken were equipped with protectives.
According to her, the present supplement provided by FAO was prepared with local contents of materials that comprised maize, groundnut, soya beans, millet and fish.
While she reaffirmed the state government’s full support and commitment to the initiative, Larai said officials would continue to educate residents on how they can prepare the supplement themselves through a hygienic ways.
She also called on traditional and religious leaders in the pilot programme areas for their cooperation in ensuring the program’s success.
A traditional ruler in Tangaza, Alhaji Ahmad Galadima, commended FAO for the support and urged officials handling the programme to ensure transparent dealings and ensured that right persons receive the right quantity of items.
In separate interviews, someone of the nursing mothers, Hauwa’u Musa, Maryam Shehu, Bilkisu Babangida and Murjanatu Abubakar expressed excitements over the gesture noting that they received similar supplement previously, however, cut short for unknown reasons.
During the interactive sessions with stakeholders in Tangaza and Raba local government areas, the Country Representative of the FAO in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Koffy Dominique, said Tom Brown provides essential nutrients to help children gradually transition to normal family meals, preventing a relapse into acute malnutrition.
Dominique explained that the present intervention which started in March this year was a pilot programme in collaborating with the Sokoto State Ministry of Health and no fewer than 1,750 children are expected to be reached at present while one million are targeted in the overall programme in the state.
He further stated that the project was designed to improve food security and nutrition among vulnerable households, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women, young girls, and children under five.
According to him, with funding from the Government of France, FAO was partnering with the state government to implement food and nutrition assistance programmes by increasing access to nutritious food and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
“To further strengthen food security and nutritional awareness, FAO is working with the Sokoto State Ministries of Agriculture and Basic and Secondary Education to establish school gardens in four selected schools across the state.
“These gardens will serve as educational platforms to enhance agricultural knowledge, practical gardening skills, and nutrition awareness among school-aged children,” he added.
The country representative also said that the FAO was piloting the programme in Sokoto state, with plans to expand it across the seven states in North-West Nigeria.
“In spite of a slight improvement in security, Nigeria still has 30.6 million displaced persons across the country.
“In the North-West alone, 11 million displaced persons account for 35 per cent of the national figure,” he said.
Dominique emphasised that tackling food insecurity and malnutrition remained a top priority for FAO.
“We are committed to supporting all Northwest states in boosting food production and fighting malnutrition,” he assured.
However, with the present committment from government officials, community members and intervention agency, there is need to ensure transparent dealings and safeguard the items from diversion.
It was reported during the similar intervention programme by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) some mischievous activities were recorded on the distribution of the supplements.
There was allegations that some bad elements in the system connived with traders and sold the supplements to unintended persons and openly sold in markets.
Some stores were discovered that personnel stocked cartons of supplements with stones and other objects to cover their nefarious acts.
For such instance, there is need for state government to fastrack data collection, prudence, preservation and dissemination in line with modern trends.
Further more community members and stakeholders in the healthcare sector should intensify vigilance against the diversion of prepared nutrition supplements in the state.
About The Author
