Extract From Our Sojo_2 Program_By Mustapha Ahmed
INTRODUCTION:
In the Lavun community, our solution journalism program. In this episode, we shall be discussing How Lavun Local Government reduced children’s Deaths from Malnutrition. Madam Felicia Abu, who is a focal person for the local government area and mall, is with me on the program. Hauwa Mohammed, a nursing mother
QUESTION: Ma, What is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition especially in Children can be defined as a lack of proper nutrition caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or eating in excess which prevents the body from absorbing the nutrients. These can be due to food shortages as a result of low income or lack of knowledge of food combinations that will give an adequate diet.
Mallama Hauwa Mohammed also added that her initial knowledge of malnutrition is a lack of adequate food in the body but in recent days due to one of her children’s nutritional status and her visit to the hospital in Kutigi, she was able to be well informed about malnutrition and how to
curb the menace attached to it.
Mrs. Felicia also added that there has been a high mortality rate in children particularly those under the
age of 5 (Five) in Lavun Local Government Area, Niger State, North Central Nigeria, reaching
86% which translates to 100 children every year between the year 2019 -2021, due to Malnutrition.
*QUESTION: How do you respond to the cases of Malnutrition in Lavun Local Government?**
Mrs, Felicia, the focal person of the Nutrition Unit at the Lavun Primary Health Care Centre
responded that through Sensitization and Campaign programs are embarked upon to teach and
enlighten women, particularly nursing mothers on how to utilize local food resources to curb
malnutrition. Women were taught how to prepare food items like soya beans, ground nuts, red
corn, crayfish or any other type of fish, and red guinea corn to prepare children’s food.
*QUESTION, MADAM HAUWA* : *Do you receive any enlightenment or any form of education
and support from health institutions of the Local Government?*
Yes, periodically they announce to us to come to the Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCH) on
such occasions they educate us on how to handle cases of malnutrition as it affects our children
and also on other health-related issues. They also taught us on how to prepare some nutritious
foods using locally available foods, such as soy beans, Groundnut, Crayfish, Maize, etc. as
local supplements and other medications they distribute to us from NGOs and the Government.
*QUESTION: Madam Felicia, Do you distribute Medicines and supplements to nursing mothers and what are their sources* ?
Yes, that includes the distribution of children’s food supplements and drugs, donated by Federal and
The State Government of Nigeria, International organizations like UNICEF and NGO’s such as
African Young Growth Foundation (AYGF), Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRIN)
which are distributed to children and nursing mothers.
Nursing mothers were also enlightened to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, after
which they can complement it with the said alternative and Local food items around.
*QUESTION: Mallama Hauwa, What is your general assessment of the intervention and
knowledge you received from the Health Care Centre?
It is a thing of concern seeing Children suffer and die of Malnutrition, says Mallama Hauwa
Mohammed is a nursing mother in the Kutigi Community whose child suffers from Malnutrition and a
beneficiary of the fight against Malnutrition program ” a 7-month-old baby looking like a 3-month
old, always crying, and often vomits when being fed, until a visit to the hospital Confirm it’s
Malnutrition” but with the sensitization program and distribution of the Food items, supplements
and drugs nursing mothers were able to solve the problem, leading to improve well-being of
their children and serious reduction in the mortality rate in the community.
*QUESTION: Madam Felicia, What is your general assessment of those intervention you gave
to the Nursing Mothers and the affected Children?*
With the distribution of the Food items, supplements and drugs across Lavun Local
Government, mortality rate has reduced from 86% between 2019 and 2021 to 14% in 2022 and
- supplements and drugs were distributed across the 12 Political wards of Lavun
Government to Children and Nursing Mothers.
QUESTION: Madam Felicia, How do you distribute these supplements?*
These items were usually distributed by Federal and State Governments, International
organizations and some NGOs to the Local Government through the Nutrition Focal desk. Myself
and My team members received these items and distributed it across 12 Political wards of the
Local Government through Ward Focal Persons, Women and Youth leaders, and other
concerned community leaders, which in turn distribute it to the needy in their various
Communities.
QUESTION: Madam Felicia, what are your challenges in the course of fighting Malnutrition?
Some Mothers don’t want to come out to collect these items because they don’t know their
importance, some will even collect them but will not use them. Also, one of the major challenges is how to
transport the items to various locations, but the current Local Government Chairman is trying in
that aspect.
*CONCLUSION: That has been our discussions with Madam Felicia Jumai Abu, The focal person Nutrition desk, at Lavun Primary Health Care Unit, and Mallama Hauwa Mohammed, a Nursing Mother from Kutigi, Lavun Local Government, Niger State on How Lavun Local Government reduced children’s Death from Malnutrition.
This program is sponsored by Nigeria Health Watch.