EU-UNICEF project treats 3066 acute malnourished children in Bauchi LG

The European Union funded health intervention being implemented by United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has successfully treated 3066 children of severely malnutrition children in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi state for the past three years.

Nutrition Officer Bauchi LGA, Tabawa Ibrahim Uthman, disclosed this when Clinical Mentors on the monthly assessment of nurses visited Primary Health Centre, Miri village.

She said the clinic was one of the six EUUNICEF Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres of interventions in the state.

She explained that on the initial stage of the project the centre received between 50 to 100 malnourished children every week but the number had reduced to between 30 and 40.

“The Miri CMAM led to screening, admission, and successful treatment of 3066 malnourished children. We have provided micronutrient powder and vitamin to over 2000 children which contained essential vitamins and important minerals for children between the ages of six to 24 months to improve a child’s immunity.”

She added that the centre also provided Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) alongside vitamin powder and F-750 powdered milk to many children who did not reach the severe conditions.

She attributed the success recorded to the free screening and medication services to children by EU-UNICEF as well as contributions of volunteers who embarked on house-tohouse sensitization campaign (IYCF) educating mothers.

She said the intervention had succeeded in educating hundreds of mothers on how to use home grown food to make nutritious food for their children.

She added that EU-UNICEF projects had also increased the number of pregnant women for antenatal and postnatal care in most of PHCs within the LGA, adding, adding many people had changed their position on accepting immunization after EU-UNICEF medical team visited their community to provide free treatment for women and under-5 children.”

In her speech the Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning Coordinator Bauchi LGA, Hajiya Zainab Alkasim, said that the EUUNICEF project has created awareness on the importance of antenatal, postnatal care, deliveries in hospital among the residence of the area.

She said between July and September 2019 a total of 6,285 deliveries, 30,305 antenatal care, 5,807 skilled birth attendance were recorded.