By Bayo Alabira, Dutse
Jigawa state government has approved the release of N250 million counterpart funding for the procurement of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to fight Child Acute Malnutrition across the state.
The United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) has already approved it’s grant of N250 Million.
This was announced by the Chief Malnutrition Officer of the state, Mr Saidu Umar shortly after the approval of the money.
According to a press release obtained on Wednesday by SINL Nigeria Online said the approval was made by the state executive council as a marching grant to make the drugs available.
He said that the United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) has already approved it’s grant of N250 Million which made the total money to be N500 million for the procurement of RUTF.
The release said under the agreement UNICEF will facilitate and supervise the process of the procurement of RUTF and equally assist in it’s management and distribution at various Centres for the Management of the Child Management Acute Malnutrition (CMAM).
“About 10,000 suffering from acute malnutrition in the state will benefit from the RUTF.
“Beside RUTF the state is also supporting various programs to enhance material and child nutrition to address the high rate of Child Malnutrition and stunting”, the release said.
Similarly, the chairman of the Civil Society working around Nutrition in the state, known as Jigawa Coalition of Civil Societies on Nutrition ( JICCON), Comrade Shua’ibu Musa said the approval will save many lives of children.
“All the 67 CMAM centres in the state are out of the stock, now our hope is rekindle, RUTF will soon be available for curing malnourished children.
“I commend the UNICEF and the state for their doggedness in tackling the menace of child Malnutrition”.
