Northeast worst hit by malnutrition, other challenges – Report

The report of 2016-2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in the Northeast on some key indicators has revealed that the region is facing multiple developmental challenges.

According to the survey, the Northeast region lags behind other regions on issues like under-five children mortality, child malnutrition, breastfeeding, vaccination coverage, access to clean water and sanitation, use of insecticide-treated nets and antenatal care delivery.

The survey was conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with Northeast states and other stakeholders.

Stakeholders at a meeting held in Bauchi to disseminate the result of the study expressed concern over malnutrition and other developmental challenges affecting the Northeast.

The meeting was attended by key stakeholders and policy makers from the six states of the Northeast: Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe.

According to the report, the region lags behind other regions in almost all the key indicators covered by the survey.

Speaking at the side of the stakeholders meeting, an Assistant Director with the National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS) , Adeyemi Adeniran who is the National coordinator, 2016-2017 MICS, said that the people invited for the meeting were those who could take decisions and were involved in policy formulation at higher levels, as such they could influence decisions to be made in order to address challenges.

He called on the stakeholders to study the results of the survey conducted for the region and come up with measures to address the challenges facing the region.

He said each of the states had its peculiar challenge which is common in the region, as such there is need for them to come together and address the challenges at state levels individually as well as collectively for the whole region.

The participants promised to use the meeting and identify the challenges facing the states in the region through a peer review mechanism to determine areas of strength and weaknesses.