The Federal Government has concluded the training of no fewer than 60 Anambra health workers on nutrition to enhance optimal maternal, infant and young child nutrition communication.
Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director, Head of Nutrition Division, Federal Ministry of Health, spoke at the closing of the eight-day training on Thursday in Awka, Anambra.
According to her, the training is in eight states with no fewer than 480 participants.
Bako-Aiyegbusi said that the eight-day capacity building exercise for health workers was to enhance optimal Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) in the country.
She said the training was aimed at increasing quality and cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children under five years of age.
“The project, funded by the World Bank at the tune of 232 million dollars in partnership with the Federal Government, is implementing a five-year nutrition programme tagged “Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN).”
Bako-Aiyegbusi said the project was to increase quality and cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age.
She said that the objective of MIYCM course was to provide basic training on maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition for those who care for mothers and young children (0-59 months)
According to her, the training will provide participants up to date information on MIYCN best practices based on its policy, strategy and guidelines.
She said MIYCN course would also help to maximise the impacts on child growth and micronutrient status by focusing on maternal nutrition, delivery practices, and improved infant and young child feeding.
According to her, nutrition is in the front burner because people are bothered about the poor indices of nutrition in the country.
She identified poor knowledge as the cause of poor nutrition in the country.
“We have realised that the key thing that is leading to the poor indices of nutrition is poor knowledge of individual households in the communities on healthy feeding practices.
“More than 40 per cent do not have adequate knowledge to prepare a delicious meal for their families especially for the infants.’’
According to her, most families do not know how to prepare foods to meet the nutritional values.
“Most people over cook their food making the nutritional value useless; we are not supposed to cook food until the whole ingredients gets over cooked.’’
She advised the participants to practice what they learnt.
The director appreciated the state team for their support to carryout successful training on nutrition and urged them to start planning for the step down training at the primary facilities.
According to her, the Federal Government will support two more trainings with 120 service providers from the secondary facilities.
“Thereafter, we will want the state to be supported by their respective partners to do step down at the primary level.
“In addition with support from the partners, the Federal Government will support the state to train health workers from selected basic health care designated centres, ” she said.
Mrs Chisom Uchem, Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said that the participants were well equipped with information on nutrition for infants and young children.
Uchem advised the male participants to ensure that they educated their fellow men to assist their women in ensuring that their children were properly fed to get the proper nutrition needed.
“I am happy that men are among the participants so I urged you to be ambassador of nutrition in the state,” she said.
Also, Mrs Uzoamaka Eviken, State Nutrition Officer, thanked the Federal Government for the training.
Eviken said that fund had been a big challenge for such trainings and Federal Government made it possible.
She said that the training would go a long ways as the participants had gotten enough knowledge of child nutrition.
“With this knowledge, every one of us will pass it to our homes, facilities and schools,” Eviken said.
More so, Dr Uliagbafusii Placid, Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, Anambra, who spoke on behalf of the participants, said that the training came at the right time as the state faced the challenges of malnutrition.
“This training came at the right time as the state has faced with the challenges of malnutrition.
“We have learnt that we can use locally made products to feed our children well especially the in the first 1000 days of birth.
“We will get to the grassroots to educate them as we now know that there are better ways our people can cater for their children to be healthy,” he said.
By Franca Ofili
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA