The Permanent Secretary, Kebbi state ministry of budget and economic planning and chairperson state committee on food and nutrition, Hajiya Aisha Usman, says, the malnutrition status of the state is on the increase with the present statistics indicating that, 66 percent of the children are stunted, 14 percent wasted while 24 percent are under weight.
The permanent secretary stated this at a One day media eound table on increased investment In Nutrition To Scale UP Quality Nutrition Services in Kebbi State organised by Civil Society Scaling UP Nutrition in Nigeria CS-SUNN held in Birnin Kebbi.
She said the state has budgetry allocation for all line Ministries that have específic intervention on nutrition such as Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Education, Information, Water Resources, Women Affairs and Budget and Economic Planning.
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According to her, the ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the nutrition committee are Planning an Advocacy visit to the state House of Assembly, State Governor, 21 local government areas and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs to understand the high rate of malnutrition in the state with a view to act of bringing it down to the minimal.
She therefore urged the media to emphasised on sensitization to the public on the dangers of malnutrition in the society.
The CS-SUNN, advocated for the Kebbi state government to review the state Multisectoral Plan for food and nutrition, approve the state policy on food and nutrition as well to establish Nutrition Department in all line Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
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The Programme Officer CS-SUNN, Kunle Evhoesor, said the media round table was aimed at engaging the media to steps up reportage of nutrition issues to spur policy maker and concerned stakeholders to take the right steps towards curbing malnutrition in the state.
Kebbi State Coordinator CS-SUNN, Rechael Samuel Hassan, while thanking the participants for perticipating, urged them to dissiminate information that will make the society understand the relevant of nutrition.