Thirty-six percent of pregnant women in Adamawa State, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, suffer from anaemia, a condition that poses serious risks to both the mothers and their babies.
Nuzhat Rafique, the Chief of Field Office at UNICEF Bauchi, disclosed in Yola, explaining, “Adamawa State’s malnutrition crisis is further worsened by alarming child nutrition statistics: 48.6% of children are stunted, 7% are wasted, and over 80% experience child food poverty.”
She said to combat this crisis, UNICEF has provided 4,290 cartons of Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) to the Adamawa State government, assuring that the supplements will benefit approximately 85,000 children, helping to prevent malnutrition and improve child survival, growth, and development.
Addressing issues such as stunting, wasting, and anaemia, procured through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) mechanism, SQ-LNS contains 23 essential vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and energy.
According to her, Adamawa was among the first states in Nigeria to adopt the CNF, contributing N100 million in 2023, which was matched by UNICEF.
Felix Tangwami, Adamawa State’s Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, attributed the high malnutrition rates to insecurity, which has limited farmers’ access to their lands and reduced food availability.
He lauded Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for prioritizing the social services sector, particularly healthcare, and highlighted the state’s investment of N100 million in 2023 for food supplements, which has been increased to N300 million this year.
Dr. Bashir Sulaiman, the Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, expressed optimism that the N300 million matching fund would significantly improve child health in the state.
With UNICEF’s contribution, this will translate into N600 million worth of supplements, ensuring better nutrition and well-being for thousands of children.
