More than 76 percent of pre-school children in Nigeria are anaemic due to deficiency in micronutrients in their bodies.
The secretary Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition In Nigeria CS-SUNN stated this through its executive secretary, Beatrice Eluaka during a one day Media roundtable on micro-nutrient deficiency control in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural development held in Kano
Beatrice Aluka expressed worry about how WHO has classified anaemia, as a severe public health problem in Nigeria.
CS-SUNN also said the reports indicate that 66.7% of pregnant women in Nigeria are also suffering from anaemia.
According to the Executive Secretary, the COVID-19 pandemic has some implications for those most vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies as well as the essential nutrition services that prevent the devastating effects of malnutrition.
“The COVID-19 pandemic may result in significant short- and long-term disruptions to food systems, increasing and complicating the global prevalence of all forms of malnutrition, including MND”.said Beatrice Aluka
Mrs. Aluka further commended the Kano State Government for approving the State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition and urged it to fund and implement the plan.
The meeting further calls on the media to step-up reportage on factual issues around micronutrient deficiencies to attract policymakers and concerned stakeholders to take the right steps towards curbing malnutrition in Nigeria.
