Malnutrition: Kaduna acquires 3,450 cartons of ready-to-use food

The Kaduna State Government has acquired 3,450 cartons of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) worth N100 million for the treatment of malnourished children in the state.

Mrs Ramatu Musa, the state Nutrition Officer made this known in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Musa said that the RUTF was bought with the N100 million recently cash backed by the state government.

She said that the RUTF had been handed over to the State Primary Health Care Board for distribution to Primary Healthcare Centres and Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites.

According to her, the government recently approved N500 million for the procurement of additional RUTF considering the number of Severe Acute Malnourished (SAM) children in the state.

“This will go a long way in ensuring that no child dies of malnutrition in the state.

“Along with the treatment of the malnourished children, we are also promoting adequate Infant and Young Child Feeding practices as a strategy for preventing malnutrition among children under five years,” she said.

Also, Mr Umar Bambale, Programme Manager, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP), said that the government was doing everything it could to treat all malnourished children in the state.

Bambale told a correspondent that KADENAP was working to ensure the release of the N500 million to procure additional RUTF.

He said that the state government had treated 66, 980 out of the 90, 228 SAM children admitted in various CMAM sites between 2017 and 2020.

He said that 11, 983 were treated out of the 17, 979 admitted in 2017, while 17, 124 were treated out of the 21, 996 admitted in 2018.

“Also, 20, 861 out of the 26, 192 admitted in 2019 were treated, while 17, 012 were treated out of the 24,061 malnourished children admitted in 2020.

“So far, 11, 292 malnourished were undergoing treatment in CMAM sites as at March 31.

“We recorded 8.99 per cent decrease in the cure rate of malnourished children from 79.6 per cent in 2019, to 70.7 per cent in 2020 due to shortage of RUTF.

“The N500 million approved by the government was part of efforts to prevent the short fall from re-occurring,’’ he said.