The Benue State Primary Health Care Board, in partnership with UNICEF, has commenced a three-day training for frontline health workers on nutrition interventions and malnutrition screening.
The capacity-building workshop is designed to strengthen the skills of Officers-in-Charge, Nutrition Focal Persons and Monitoring and Evaluation Officers from primary healthcare facilities across 12 implementing Local Government Areas in the state.
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The participants are being trained on Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements, SQ-LNS, Multiple Micronutrient Supplements, MMS, and Mid-Upper Arm Circumference, MUAC, screening for malnutrition among children.
The training also focuses on improving infant and young child feeding practices and strengthening preventive nutrition services at the primary healthcare level.
Presenting an overview of child undernutrition in Nigeria, a facilitator from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Daufa Deme, said stunting had increased from 37 to 40 per cent, wasting from seven to eight per cent and underweight from 22 to 27 per cent, with higher prevalence recorded in rural areas.
Lead facilitator, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, stressed the importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to a child’s second birthday, describing the period as critical for brain development and cognitive growth.
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She emphasised early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years.
Also speaking, Dr Michael Aondoaseer of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital explained that timely complementary feeding was necessary to support the rapid growth and development of infants, while demonstrating the eight recommended food groups using locally available foods.
A UNICEF Nutrition Specialist from its Enugu Field Office, Mrs Ngozi Onuora, said SQ-LNS contains 22 essential vitamins and minerals and is designed to help prevent malnutrition among children aged six to 23 months.
She explained that the recommended dosage is one 20-gram sachet per child per day, stressing that SQ-LNS is a preventive intervention and should not be given to children with Moderate or Severe Acute Malnutrition.
Participants are drawn from Apa, Gboko, Guma, Gwer-West, Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Logo, Makurdi, Ohimini, Otukpo, Oju and Vandeikya Local Government Areas.
The Benue State Primary Health Care Board said the training is expected to improve the capacity of frontline health workers to deliver preventive nutrition services and contribute to reducing child malnutrition and improving maternal and child health outcomes across the state.