Nigerians Implored to Tackle Malnutrition Through Dairy Products

As part of efforts to tackle malnutrition in the country, a Professor of Community Health, Prof. Ebenezer Ojofeitimi, has called on Nigerians to take advantage of the nutritional benefits of dairy products, as they have been proven to improve health and quality of lives.

Ojofeitimi, who made this known during a press briefing on the launch of Peak Wazobia by FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc, in Lagos recently, said intake of milk and other dairy products strengthens the immune system, as well as improve the various organs of the body, including the cardiovascular system, bones, among others.

“The nutrients in a glass of milk is enormous, because dairy products contain potassium, iodine, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, selenium, among others, which are very helpful to the health of the body,” adding that, the continuous intake of milk daily can tackle issues of malnutrition, especially among children under age five who were mostly hit by the scourge, as well as pregnant and nursing mothers.

According to him, dairy products offer unique opportunity to reducing childhood stuntedness and would greatly reduce maternal mortality rate in the country. “Dairy products help to reduce blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and as well as reduce the chances of breast cancer when it is taken habitually.

He said it was unfortunate that the country only lays emphasis on food security, as nothing was being said about nutrient security. “Most people do not know the kind of nutrients needed for them to stay healthy and alive, adding that a glass of milk daily would do more good to the body than most of the food taken by Nigerians,” he added.

He said as a medical expert, he was certain that with the launch of Peak Wazobia and seven other low unit product packs, every Nigerian will be able to afford dairy products both for themselves and their families.

He called on the government, stakeholders and school owners to make milk mandatory for school children, while also laying emphasis on the handiness of Peak Wazobia for every Nigerian child, as a way out of the malnutrition menace presently in the country.

In the same vein, the Managing Director, FrieslandCampina, Raul Colaco, said with the high deaths occasioned by malnutrition in the country, the company decided to address this gap through the launch of Peak Wazobia and other low unit product packs, as they contain essential nutrients needed to tackle malnutrition.

He also noted that the company has been in existence in Nigeria since the past 60 years, adding that majority of Nigerians have grown up drinking peak milk.

“But we want to reach more Nigerians, especially in the wake of malnutrition in the country, hence the introduction of the various products. “From N10 to N50, and they are fortified with daily nutrient requirement. These density of nutrients are very important to solving malnutrition issues in the country,” he added.