Reports from Bauchi State indicate that there have been four fatalities due to Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) among children below the age of five.
During the first quarter of 2024, a total of 4,384 children diagnosed with SAM were admitted for treatment at 14 Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition Centers within the state.
At a recent two-day State Committee on Food and Nutrition meeting in Jos, the State Nutrition Officer, Abubakar Saleh, affirmed these figures while providing an overview of the nutrition situation in Bauchi State.
Out of the total admissions, only 451 children have completed their treatment regimen, Saleh disclosed.
He mentioned that the state commenced treatment activities in February 2024 following the receipt of 17,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) from USAID.
Addressing the gathering, Jessica Bartholomew, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) facilitator on Nutrition, highlighted that Nigeria harbors the largest population of chronically undernourished children worldwide.
“It is reported that there are 11 million stunted children in the country, with Bauchi State contributing significantly with stunting, wasting, and underweight rates recorded at 46%, 9.5%, and 28.2%, respectively, as per NDHS 2018,” she emphasized.
Bartholomew underscored the pivotal role of nutrition in enhancing a nation’s human capital development and stressed the urgency for government intervention to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertaining to hunger, child and maternal health, and education.
The Facilitator also pointed out that investing in nutrition programs is crucial, as childhood stunting alone can compromise up to 10% of potential life savings.
Prior to Bartholomew’s address, the Nutrition Officer at UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Martins Jackson, emphasized the importance of continuous advocacy for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of an infant’s life to combat malnutrition.