Participants and facilitators
Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The Lagos State Government has embarked on a proactive initiative to tackle the pervasive issue of child malnutrition with a robust training programme aimed at equipping health workers with essential nutrition skills.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and supported by the World Bank, focuses on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition.
The intensive training programme, which commenced on July 7, and is expected to end on July 17, 2024, is being held at the Dover Hotel in Ikeja.
The programme aims to train 60 master trainers who will subsequently educate health workers at primary and secondary health facilities across Lagos State.
One of the training sessions
Speaking during one of the training sessions, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye emphasised the critical importance of nutrition in early childhood development, citing alarming statistics from the Lagos State Reproductive and Child Health Survey.
According to him, the survey revealed that over one-third of children under five in Lagos suffer from stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition, highlighting the urgency of interventions during the first 1,000 days of life.
Speaking passionately about the initiative, Ogboye described nutrition as a fundamental human right, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to improve nutrition indices, particularly amidst the challenges posed by population influx into Lagos State.
He explained that the training programme is expected to enhance the capacity of health workers to deliver accurate and effective MIYCN services, thereby empowering households, mothers, and caregivers with the knowledge needed to implement optimal nutrition practices.
While expressing gratitude for the support from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ogboye highlighted Lagos State’s commitment, including the allocation of a substantial budget for nutrition in 2024 and the approval of UNICEF counterpart funding for nutrition commodities.
“The current nutrition indices in Lagos State call for stakeholders’ collaboration. This training will change the narrative of our nutrition indices in Lagos State,” he concluded.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
The post Lagos launches initiative to combat maternal, child malnutrition appeared first on Healthwise.