SELYA YARNAP, Bauchi
As a strategy towards reducing the high burden of malnutrition in pregnant women and lactating mothers in the state, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board has flagged the activation of nutrition corners and the creation of facility gardens at PHCs level.
The project is supported by Catalysing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience ( CASCADE ) and Development Exchange Centre(DEC) and is taking place at twenty-five PHCs across five local government areas of Bauchi, Dass, Jama’are, Ningi and Toro.
Speaking during the flag-off at the Miri PH in Bauchi, the Project manager of CASCADE, Isaac Ishaya Audu explained that the activation of the nutrition corners is an outcome of a situational analysis, the organization conducted on Frontline health workers where findings indicated low access to nutrition education among women in rural areas in the state.
According to him, ” the nutrition corners target pregnant women and lactating mothers who frequently visit the health facilities and the project is using ANC sessions to educate the women on household recipes that they can replicate at home to boost their nutritional status and that of their families”.
The creation of a facility garden, he said, is expected to complement the nutrition corners and it’s an opportunity for women of reproductive age to get basic knowledge on good practices in the state.
Isaac Audu, added, “we are exploring opportunities to leverage the facility garden to introduce production-related skills like the cultivation of orange flesh potatoes and tropical vegetables”.
According to him, these women are expected to get adequate information and training on key nutritional messages to replicate the same in their homes.
In his address, the Executive Chairman, of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed said the state has poor indices on malnutrition according to NDHS 2023/2024, noting that it requires multi sectoral approach to address it.
He added, “Inflation, ignorance and lack of exclusive breastfeeding are some of the factors contributing to the increase of malnutrition in Bauchi State “.
The chairman then appreciated CASCADE for reactivating nutrition corners and the creation of facility gardens in some selected PHCs saying that it will go a long way in improving the nutritional status of the people.
During the launching, breastfeeding mothers were taught how to prepare nutrient-laden local food for their children to make them grow healthy and look robust.
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